Pokemon: Blood Red
by ahye01
Summary: The story of a boy from Pallet Town named Jethro with a talent for training Pokemon. Loosely based off the games and anime. Rated M for Language, Violence, and some Sexual Situations. Please Review
1. Job Hunting

**Author's Notes:**

**The tale will begin in the Kanto region, which is native to my very favorite generation of Pokémon (yeah, I'm old school.) The story features a mix of original characters as well as popular ones from the game and anime. Same basic plot you've seen before, just with a bit of a modern spin. Now then, let's get on with the story.**

Job Hunting

Jethro Brown is the type of kid to ignore life's little problems and hope they went away. However, it didn't work with his homework in middle school, and it sure as hell is not going to work for the traffic citation he got for driving without a license.

His father, bless him, picked up the cost of said citation, but only after the promise that Jethro would find a summer job to start supporting himself. Being a fourteen year old in a small place like Pallet Town, he didn't exactly have a lot of job choices available to him.

Pacing around his bedroom, Jet began compiling a mental list of potential jobs which he could actually see himself getting hired for. He passed by the mirror hanging up on his wall, and a white kid with brown hair and matching eyes looked back at him. "I need Craig's list."

Going over to his computer, Jet looked under the job's section. Most of the jobs available were fast food; all except for… he clicked on the link that called for a Jr. Pokémon Day Care Assistant. Requirements were as followed.

-Must be 14 years or older.

-Must have proof of eligibility to work.

-Must have at least a Class C trainer's license.

-Must be comfortable working around Pokémon.

Jet read and re-read the job description and requirements. This is the perfect job. All he had to do was babysit a bunch of Pokémon for eight hours, and it paid about eight fifty an hour. Apparently all applications had to be filled out at the Pallet Town Pokémon research center though.

He had nothing better to do today, so why not? Picking up his phone he called his best friend Brian, and said, "Yo, how would you like to get a job with me today?"

**XXX**

Jet met up with Brian at the bus stop, just seconds before the bus pulled up. Brian was an Asian kid of fifteen, just a couple of inches taller than Jethro. Brian was a Pokémon fanatic. All his life he wanted nothing more than to train Pokémon. He could never afford one on his own, but he spent a great deal of time drawing them in his sketch book or watching battles on the TV. When Jet said the research center was hiring, Brian started geeking out.

When on the bus, questions about the new job were endless. "Are you sure it said fourteen years or older? Did it say you need any experience? What will we be doing anyway?"

Jet, however, asked, "Did you bring that study guide?"

Brian nodded and reached in his bag and pulled out a study guide for a class C Pokémon license exam. Brian already had his class C, but Jethro didn't. He looked it up online, though. For fifty six dollars, he could take the test for his license at the research center, and he didn't even need an appointment.

"You mind telling me," Brian began, "exactly how do you plan on getting your trainer's license _and _a job training Pokémon all in one day?"

Jet, who began reading the study guide immediately, replied, "Don't jinx it. It's this or flip burgers all summer."

Brian laughed, "Well, good luck, Jet, you're defiantly going to need it."

The boys walked into the research center. It was a very large building, which wasn't surprising considering it's the center for Pokémon research in the Kanto region. There was a plump woman at the front desk reading a magazine. She lowered the magazine as they approached and said in a bored voice, "How may I help you boys?"

Brian spoke first, "I wanted to apply for the position that just opened up here."

Jet piped up, "And I would like to take the test for my class C trainer's license, please?"

The plump woman at the desk studied them both for a moment, and then reached in her desk and pulled out a job application. "Hand that back to me when you're done, honey."

She then went to yet another drawer and pulled out a form attached to a clip board. "Same to you, dear. And you're lucky it's slow today, otherwise you'd have to come back another time."

Jet nodded, found a seat in the lobby next to Brian, and began filling out his form. He was thankful that he didn't need his parent's signature to get a Pokémon license, as both his parents were at work and he didn't want to have to wait until tomorrow.

He supposed he probably should have went with Brian when he got his class C. As Jet understood it, there were three classes for a trainer's license. Class C you can get at the age of 14. It allowed you to catch, own, battle with, and raise 1-2 star Pokémon. These were Pokémon such as Pichu or Pidgey. They could be dangerous, but they could also be domesticated fairly easily and weren't very powerful.

Then you had your class B. This allowed you to train 3-4 star Pokémon. These were Pokémon such as Bayleaf and Magmar. These were potentially very dangerous, and you need to be at least 16 to raise them. This License was more difficult to get because it not only requires more tests to get, but it also requires two or more years of experience working with Pokémon.

The Class A license was coveted by all trainers. It requires not only three years' experience raising Pokémon, but it also requires you to have a class B for at least a year. You also need a degree in Pokémon training, which requires years of classes and months of testing. The minimum age for this license is seventeen, not that many people that young are ever able to meet the requirements. With a Class A license, you could potentially raise any Pokémon you want.

Brian's dream is to get his class A, buy his first Pokémon, and build a dream team powerful enough to fight in the world championships. When they were younger, Jet used to have the same dream. They would talk about places they would visit, Pokémon they would catch. But sooner or later everyone has to grow up, and Jet has accepted a long time ago that being a Pokémon master was a thoroughly unrealistic dream. So he locked that part of him away along with being a pilot or an actor.

Still, Jet had always liked Pokémon, ever since he was little. As far as he was concerned, being a Jr. Pokémon Daycare Assistant was the perfect summer job. Who knows, maybe he might be able to save up enough money to buy a car next year.

An hour later Jet was being lead into a cubicle by Doris, the lady from the front desk.

"Here you are dear, computer four. All your information is inputted. Just take the test and come see me at the front desk when you are done."

Jet nodded, "Yes ma'am."

He sat at the computer and clicked on begin. Most of the questions were easy:

4. How many types of Pokémon are there total?

Or:

26. Name the types of pokeballs best used for catching aquatic Pokémon?

Then there were the hard ones:

37. Match these vitamins with the stats they help stimulate.

And:

59. Approximately what level does a Mankey evolve at?

There were a hundred questions in all, either multiple choice or matching. Then, he had to do a battle simulator. It was like a turn based video game in which every Pokémon had only four moves to use. First, he had to battle three random Pokémon using a Spearow, an Elekid, and a Turtwig. He could switch Pokémon at any time, and he had one potion, and one status healer for every stat change. He had to win the match with a minimum amount of damage done to his Pokémon.

He did this three times, each time with different opponents and a different team. Afterwards he had to simulate catching Pokémon. It was similar to the battle simulation, except he had to use pokeballs instead of medicines.

When he was finally finished, a window popped up on the computer saying he passed with a 94.5 %. It then printed out a ticket saying the same, which Jet took to the front desk.

"It's about time!" exclaimed Brian. "Took your time? What did you get?" Jet showed Brian the ticket. Brian grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. "Great job, man."

Jet smiled as well, "Yeah well, it's not a full 100% like you got on yours."

Brian sighed, "We can't all be perfect."

Jet handed the paper to Doris along with sixty dollars for the license. Doris smiled and took out a camera. She took his picture and they waited a couple minutes for his ID to print out. When it was done, Doris passed Jet the license and said, "Congratulations, you are now a qualified Pokémon trainer!"

Jet smiled and said, "Thank you! So… could I get a job application please?"


	2. The Pokemon Professor

The Pokémon Professor

By the time Jet got home from hanging out with Brian it was dinner time. He was tired from walking around all day. He had applied two other establishments aside from the research center, one of which tore his application up in his face after learning he was only fourteen.

He could smell pizza baking in the oven while he watched his little brother, Ken, and sister, Anna, (both twins of about ten years old) set the table.

"How did job hunting go?" his dad, asked, "Did you make any headway?"

"Well…" Jet told his parents about his day job hunting.

"Wow," his mom, said, "you got your license on your first try?"

His dad was less impressed, "You're supposed to be making money, not spending what little money you have on something you're not even going to use."

Jet shrugged, "Got to spend money to make money dad."

His father looked as if he was about to say something, but changed his mind and just shook his head. Meanwhile Samson, the family Growlithe, put his paw on Jet's leg and gave him a "pet me" look. Jet began to scratch Samson under his chin, which earned him an appreciative tail wag.

The phone rang and Mrs. Brown answered it.

"Hello? Yes this is his mother. Yes he's right here."

Jet's mom gave him a big smile, held out the phone and said, "It's the research center."

Jet's heart skipped a beat as he picked up the phone and said, "H-hello?"

The voice in the phone said, "Yes, this is Professor Oak from the Pallet Town Pokémon Research Center, I was Just reviewing your application and wanted to know if you could come in tomorrow at eleven am for an interview?"

Jet heart was thumping in his chest. Professor Oak? The world famous Pokémon professor? Jet knew professor Oak ran the research center; he ran several research centers in fact. He never _dreamed_, however, that Oak would be personally interviewing him.

"Yes sir, absolutely!"

"Good, good. I'll see you tomorrow then." Click.

Jet looked at his dad, grinning. "What was that about wasting unnecessary money on a trainer's license?"

**XXX**

The next day found Jet and Brian sitting in a waiting room with four other applicants. Jet was the only one out the group that got fully dressed up for the interview. Khaki's, tie, dress shoes, the whole nine. This was something Brian was not above snickering at.

"Dude you look like you're going to church!"

"Shut up, ass-wipe."

Brian however, laughed some more. Jet looked around the room; everyone looked to be about his age, all with differing levels of nervousness. _Good_, he thought to himself, _they probably don't have much more experience raising Pokémon than I do._

Then he heard a door open behind him, and a cute, red haired chick walked in the room. She looked to be about fifteen. She had brown eyes, a nose piercing, and she wore a stripped hoodie that she wore with the hood up. Jet could see a cord that looked like it belonged to head phones leading from her pocket to her dark red hair.

The mystery girl sat down next to Jet, picked up a magazine off the table next to her, and started reading. Her legs crossed, and her foot seemed to move to the beat of some unknown song. Jet tried to think of something to say to the red head, but nothing came to mind.

Brian, Jet saw, was also intrigued by her presence. He kept trying to steal glances at her, looking away when he saw Jet watching. A fat kid who sat across from her reached over and tapped her on the foot.

The red haired girl looked aggravated to be interrupted from her music. "What?"

"Aren't Professor Oak's granddaughter?" The fat kid asked, completely unaware that he just violated the read head's personal bubble.

"Last time I checked." Said the red haired girl, indifferently.

"So," continued random fat kid without a sense of personal space, "you probably got this job in the bag, huh?"

The red head simply put her ear bud back in, and ignored him. The fat kid must have gotten the hint, because he did not persist. Then the red head surprised Jet by talking to him.

"A little over dressed for a day care job, don't you think?"

She had a smile on her face when she said it, which gave him the courage to speak back.

"You may jest, but we'll see who's laughing when I get the job."

She smiled and revealed beautiful white, even teeth. "He's hiring three people today, not one."

Jet smiled back, "Thanks, good to know."

The red head smiled yet again, put her ear bud back in, and retreated behind the magazine in her hands.

A few minutes later, a door on the far end of the room opened, and a lady peeked her head out and said, "Amy, the Professor will see you now."

The girl next to Jet stood up, and walked in to the next room with who Jet assumed was the receptionist. Amy, so that was her name.

It was another five minutes before Amy walked back out and sat back next to Jet.

"Brian Chang!"

Brian gave Jet a nervous smile, and headed into the next room. It took Brian three times longer than Amy before he came back out again. Jet's heart was pounding with anticipation. But the lady called out a different name.

It was another hour and a half when Jet was the only one who has yet to see the professor. Whoever was being interviewed now should be out soon, and then Jet could get his chance.

Sure enough, the fat kid walked out the room looking smug, and the receptionist called, "Jethro Brown."

Jet stood up, feeling more nervous than he ever did in his life, and walked into the next room.

"Just go straight into his office, hun."

Doing as he was told, Jet moved forward, opening the door with the plaque that said,

PROFESSOR OAK

"Come in, and have a seat."

Jet sat down. The first thing he noticed was how weird it was seeing someone that he saw on TV in real life shuffling through some papers. The second thing he noticed was the live Pikachu sitting on Oak's desk.

The Pikachu looked extremely grumpy. When Jet sat down, The Pikachu gave him the grisly eye. Jet smiled at it, and the Pikachu rolled his eyes. Jet held out his hand and asked it, "May I?"

Pikachu considered him for a moment, and sighed and gave it a look that said, _if you must_. Jet reached out and scratched the Pikachu behind the ear. Evidently he must've found Pikachu's weak spot because its attitude changed immediately.

It hopped on Jet's lap and almost purred as he scratched the Pikachu's belly.

"Huh", Professor Oak said, "that Pikachu usually doesn't like people."

Oak considered Jet for a moment, and then began talking again. "It says here that you have just received your trainer's license yesterday, is that true?"

Jet' heart sank, _I knew I should've gotten one earlier._ He then nodded and said, "Yes Sir."

"It also says that you received a very high score on your exam. Impressive, considering most never pass it on their first try."

Jet felt a little ray of hope, "I'm a very quick learner, sir."

"Indeed."

Oak continued shuffling through papers before having Jet confirm that the information on the application was correct.

"I see you have no recent criminal charges… no work experience…" Oak seemed to be talking more to himself at this point, reading through Jet's papers all the while.

The professor than set the papers down on the table, and looked up at Jet. "Do you have any Pokémon at your house?"

"Umm, yes sir." Jet began nervously, "My mom has a Growlithe named Samson. She bought him as a puppy to help protect the house when my house got robbed three years ago. I feed him and walk him every day."

Professor Oak nodded, "Would you say that you have a positive relationship with this Growlithe?"

"Oh, yes sir. But then again, Samson likes everybody."

Jet suddenly realized that befriending an already friendly Pokémon probably wouldn't much impress Professor Oak. No doubt he was looking for an applicant who would be able to handle the most unruly of Pokémon.

Oak however, smiled again. He then asked, "Tell me about an experience in your life in which you had a difficult problem to solve. What steps did you take to solve this problem, and what were the results?"

Jet thought back; that's a hard ass question. It didn't help his cause, either, that the longer he sat their thinking, the more nervous he got from not being able to find a suitable answer. This, in turn, made it all the more difficult to concentrate.

Oak, who seemed to understand Jet's mental struggle, said, "Perhaps an experience from school? Perhaps maybe a project?"

Jet nodded. He thought yet again, and then said, "Well, when I was eight there was this bully at school who use to take my lunch every day. My dad, when he was younger, used to be a boxer. I asked him if he could teach me how to fight. I thought he would be mad, but he was the happiest I've ever seen him.

"So every day after school me and my dad would spend three hours practicing. It was usually a one hour workout, and two hours shadow boxing. My best friend, Brian, would practice with me a lot. We would spar all the time.

"By the time summer vacation was over and I went back to school, I was sure I was a good enough fighter to defend myself. Dan, the bully I told you about, tried to shake me down for my lunch money. I said no and then he tried to fight me.

"You see, I didn't know it at the time, but Dan had been taking karate lessons since he was five. So He still ended up kicking my-" Jet hesitated and then said, "butt. I didn't go out without a fight though. Ever since that day Dan never tried to take my lunch again."

Professor Oak laughed, "Certainly an original story." Jet smiled as well. Professor Oak scribbled something on a piece of paper and then asked, "Do you always solve your problems with violence?"

Jet realized his mistake in telling his story, "N-no sir! That was the first fight I ever got into. Well-" Jet corrected himself, "the first _serious_ fight."

Professor Oak scribbled yet again. Jet felt thoroughly annoyed with himself, _Me and my big mouth._

Pikachu, meanwhile, repositioned himself on Jet's lap so Jet was scratching its side. It gave a long, lazy _chaaaaa_ as he did so.

Oak cleared his throat and said, "Name a time when you went above and beyond the call of duty for someone else."

Jet was able to answer this one a little easier than the other one, "Well, I taught my little brother and sister how to read when they were four.

"I would read to them every night. My sister, Anna, asked if I could teach them to read. So I just kind of.. did." Jet finished lamely.

Oak scribbled yet again. He then looked Jet in the eye and said, "One more question. Why should I give you this job when you have never raised a Pokémon of your own?"

Jet was afraid of this question, but he had an answer prepared, "I've read your paper about the art of raising Pokémon. You said that new trainers should keep in mind that respect for every individual Pokémon, as well as the confidence and patience to raise them, can be just as important as experience. I personally believe that I have these qualities.

"You go on to say," Jet continued, satisfied that Oak looked impressed by Jet knowing his work, "that while the bond between a Pokémon and their original trainer is sacred and irreplaceable, the individual Pokémon trusts in the leadership and dedication of the trainer for its own wellbeing. You say that if the trainer doesn't display these qualities and breaks that trust, then the bond between trainer and Pokémon will also break.

"Vice versa if one was to come along who isn't the original trainer," Jet gestured at himself, "comes along and displays these qualities along with a deep sense of affection for said Pokémon, then that trainer can form as deep a bond with that Pokémon as they would had they have captured the Pokémon in the first place, making them the original trainer."

Oak gave Jet a big smile, "I see you are well versed in my work."

Jet nodded,_ Yeah, I read that paper last night just for this interview, fast learner indeed._

Professor Oak scribbled once more on his paper and asked, "Do you have any questions of me about the position?"

Jet thought for a moment, "No sir, I read up on the position last night."

Oak nodded and said, "Excellent, just wait outside with the others, I'll make the announcement about my decision shortly."

Jet went back in to the waiting room and sat in between Brian and Amy, who were chatting freely. When Jet sat down Brian asked, "So, how did it go?"

Jet scratched his head, "It was kind of hard to tell, but I think I impressed him towards the end."

Brian smiled, "I hope we both get this job, working here won't be the same without you."

Amy leaned over and said, "So, Jet huh? You trying to be a Pokémon master like your friend over here?"

Jet shook his head, "I haven't got near the amount of dedication. I once saw this guy try to catch a Rattata with his bare hands."

Brian laughed, "I still got the scars to prove it too. Good times."

The three of them talked and laughed for about ten minutes, mostly about this years' regional Pokémon league coming up soon. When the Pokémon Professor walked in the room however, all went quiet.

"I have reached my decision. Thank you all for applying, but I only have three positions open. First I would like to congratulate my granddaughter Amy. I know for a fact that if anyone was qualified for this job, you are."

Amy smiled appreciatively at her grandfather before he continued, "My second choice, Brian Chang. I must say, I was most impressed with your in-depth knowledge about Pokémon and their capabilities. Also, I applaud your enthusiasm."

Brian stood right up shook Oak's hand and said, "Than you sir, you won't regret this I promise!"

Oak nodded and continued, "My final choice, Mr. Jethro Brown. I pride myself on being able to see the potential in young trainers. Let me tell you, if you work hard and hold on to your principles, I see great things in your future."

Jet felt a surge of pride as he, like Brian, stood up and thanked the Pokémon Professor, shaking his hand all the while. As the rest of the applicants begrudgingly left one by one, Oak gave Jet, Brian, and Amy instructions to be at the Research Center at 9 am the next morning.

Brian and Jet left the building, Brian being beside himself, "I can't believe we got the job! Oh man, wait until I tell everyone about this one! And did you see that girl Amy? Talk about smoking hot! And dude, she knows so much about Pokémon. I think I'm in love bro!"

Jet laughed and shook his head. He had just now noticed how nice of a day it was. He couldn't believe that his dad said getting a trainer's license was a waste of money.


	3. Hard Work and a lil Elbow Grease

**Author's Notes:**

**I didn't mention it earlier but I don't own any of the characters or Pokémon in this story.**

**Here's the third chapter, I really enjoyed writing this one. Please review as I enjoy both criticism and praise. Even if you don't know what to say, just give me a smiley face or a frowny face. Feedback is motivation, people!**

Hard Work and a lil' Elbow Grease

Jet woke up the next morning both nervous and excited. He got dressed in clothes that he wouldn't mind getting dirty or ruined like Professor Oak said. No sooner than when he just got finish tying his sneakers was he called downstairs by his mom.

Brian was waiting for him at the bottom of the steps. "Yo Jet, I couldn't sleep last night at all. Could you?"

"Yeah," Jet said while reaching down to pet Samson by way of morning greeting. Jet's mom asked, "You boys want pancakes before you head out?"

"Yeah, that would be great Mrs. B," Brian said before continuing on about their new job, "Think about it dude, today we feed a couple of sick Rattata, tomorrow we'll be catching our own Pokémon!"

"That fast, huh?" said Mrs. Brown, clearly amused by Brian's enthusiasm.

"Well, you know what I mean Mrs. B," Brian continued, "See the way I figure it, if I save all my money, in a couple of years I'll have enough to buy a Dratini!"

Jet shook his head, "Those aren't exactly easy to come by."

Brian shrugged, "I'm sure I can get one from somebody online. Anyway, I buy my first Pokémon, along with some pokeballs, and then head out to destinations unknown building the sickest dream team of pocket monsters this side of the nut house!"

Jet's mom placed two plates with a mini stack of pancakes in front of them, "Well, good luck with that."

Jet, however, said "Catching Pokémon ain't exactly as easy as it sounds."

Brian raised his eyebrows, "And I suppose you know this from your vast amount of experience?"

Jet swallowed the buttery bite of pancake he was just chewing before saying, "I watch animal planet."

**XXX**

They arrived at the lab twenty minutes later via the bus, both full of anticipation. When they entered the lobby, Amy was there standing next to a guy in his early twenties wearing a lab coat.

"Ahh, there you are boys."

Brian looked confused, "Where is Professor Oak?"

The guy in the lab coat laughed, "Professor Oak likes to make all staff appointments himself, but he's a very busy man. My name is Carl; I will be your supervisor."

They shook hands and followed Carl as he handed out assignments.

"Amy, you will be in this room scanning these pokeballs with this device here," Carl held up a scanner gun thingy, and scanned one of the pokeballs, "You will then take the information from the scanner and copy them down into this log. Just write the levels and stats of each Pokémon in the order that they appear on the screen."

Carl handed the scanner to a disgruntled Amy, along with a clip board with log sheets. He then said, "After you are finished with the log, input the data in this computer here. I believe you already know how to use are data base?"

Amy nodded, and Carl said, "Excellent, let me know when you are finished."

Amy did not look happy about her task. Not that Jet blamed her; there were well over a hundred different pokeballs on the shelves that she had to scan. Perhaps maybe this job wasn't going to be as fun as he thought.

They left Amy to her devices, and followed Carl for what felt like ten minutes until they ended up in another building filled with cages upon cages of bird Pokémon.

"You will be feeding these Pokémon today, Brian."

Brian nodded. While he didn't look as enthusiastic as he did before they walked in the door, he didn't seem to mind his task nearly as much as Amy.

"You want to go over there and see Will, our bird keeper. He'll show you the proper procedures for the job."

Brian nodded again and said in an undertone to Jet, "I guess I'll just see you after work."

Jet followed Carl to another building that had a sign up that read:

Aquatic Pokémon Daycare

They walked inside and went down three hallways before Carl lead Jet into a large room. The room had an indoor swimming pool that was roped off. There was a worker that looked as if he was testing the PH levels of the water. On the other side of the room were about twenty water Pokémon. They all looked rather unhappy about being outside the pool. There were three older teenagers filling up buckets with hoses by the water Pokémon, as well as preparing rags and sponges.

"He's all yours." Carl said to the one of the teenagers, who was pouring some kind of soap into one of the buckets.

Carl then walked away. The guy he was talking to stood up and said, "Ok kid, listen up. You are going to be washing all of these water Pokémon while that guy over there makes sure the pool is clean."

One of the other guys stepped forward, "Yeah what you want to do is take a sponge and dip it into one of these buckets," he gestured at a bucket with suds floating on the surface, "and scrub the Pokémon down. Just make sure you don't get the soap in their eyes, because that annoys the hell out of them and those Water-Guns hurt."

"Once you scrub them down with a sponge, dip them into one of these tubs of fresh water over here. When all the soap is off you can wipe them down with a rag and have them stand over there while you clean the rest. Got it?"

Jet nodded, "Uhh, yeah. I think so."

The third boy said, "If I were you I'd start with the Horsea. That little guy just loves baths, don't he?" One of the other boys laughed, "Yeah, he can't get enough of 'em!"

The boys then turned to leave and Jet called, "Wait! Don't you have to supervise me or something?"

One of the boys called back, "Nah you got it. Besides, it's our break time anyway."

They laughed as they walked away, leaving Jet to wash all of the Pokémon by himself. "Dicks."

Jet sighed and went over to pick up the Horsea. It jumped out the way and _hissed_ at him. Jet was suddenly scared. The only Pokémon he has ever been around in person was Samson. However, he was pretty sure that if a Pokémon hissed at you, it couldn't mean anything good.

Jet grabbed a wet sponge and approached cautiously. "I'm just going to give you a bath, that's all. Nothing special." He reached over with the sponge to gently scrub the Horsea, and without warning, it sprung forward and tackled him in the gut.

Jet had never been hit with a Tackle attack before, but it hurt like a bitch. He flew some six feet back and clenched his abdomen, which was in pain. He wanted to swear but there was no air left in his lungs.

Jet went to get back up, but as soon as he turned over he puked. Then, all of a sudden a cold, hard, burst of water hit him full force, and he was propelled backward yet again until he hit the wall. As soon as he made contact with the wall, he became winded yet again. The side of his body where the Water-Gun hit stung like tiny needles were pricking every inch his skin.

He looked up, and the Horsea he was attempting to clean was hopping over to him, hissing and poised for battle. Around them, the nineteen other Pokémon made a large circle and began to watch, as if they were watching a fairly entertaining television program.

Jet wasn't sure what level the Horsea was at, but he did know that a human battling a Pokémon was a very dumb idea. Still, he was pissed over that cheap ass attack and he did have a job to do. He stood up and tried to walk around the Horsea toward the sponges. Horsea tilted his head back, as if he were going to release another Water-Gun.

Jet ran forward, dived, and slid past Horsea as it released its Water-Gun. It missed him by inches; the floor was soaked from the last attack allowing Jet to slide very fast. Jet grabbed a sponge mid-slide and rolled out the way as Horsea squirted some black oil at him.

Jet rolled to his feet like his father taught him, and tried to close the distance between him and Horsea. Horsea jumped up and tried to Tackle Jet. Jet, however, was expecting it this time and side stepped the tackle; grabbing Horsea from behind in the process.

Horsea wriggled around and almost got free, but Jet pulled it closer to him. He used his forearm to pin Horsea to his chest by the neck like he had it in a sleeper hold, but Horsea wasn't having that shit.

It used Water-Gun to propel them both backwards, knocking buckets over as they went. Horsea was free, and Jet was on his back. Horsea reposition himself and shot sludge at Jet again, and again Jet rolled out of the way.

He stood up and ran as Horsea used Bubble, but slip and fell on the wet floor. Most of the bubbles went over his head, but those that did hit stung as if he was being hit with a leather belt. He yelled out in pain and got sprayed with another water gun.

He slid across the floor to the other side of the room, and found himself lying next to a net. Quickly getting up, Jet grabbed the net. He stood up and looked over at Horsea, who hissed and held his head high to look intimidating.

"Game on, bitch." _Fuck this Horsea. _Jet then ran over to Horsea. He was careful to run around the puddles of water on the floor so as to not slip again.

Horsea tilted his head back to use Water-Gun again, so Jet pulled off another daring dive to get close to Horsea. It worked, and he wasted no time at all putting Horsea in the net.

As soon as Horsea was in the net, it used Water-Gun to make them slide all over the room. Jet held on for dear life, knocking over more buckets along the way. The Pokémon in the background cheered and jeered, evidently quite entertained by the proceedings.

When the water-Gun finally stopped, Jet got to his feet. Horsea, who was far from giving up that easy, used Water-Gun again. This time, however, instead of Jet sliding across the room, he was able to stay in one spot while keeping hold of the net. The net itself, as well as the Horsea within, was flying all over the place, using Jet as its pivot point.

The net picked up more and more speed as Horsea fought fin and flipper to get free. Finally, Jet purposely let go of the net, but only because its trajectory was headed toward a nearby wall. His plan worked perfectly; Horsea slammed into the wall head first in his desperate attempt to break free of the net.

Temporarily dazed, the Horsea did not fight back as Jet grabbed a nearby sponge and hastily scrubbed its little body head to tail. It regained its senses, however, after being dunked in the tub of fresh water. Horsea used Water-Gun.

It shot up from the tub, into the air, and landed in front of Jet, ready for the next round. Jet, however, smiled.

"Do what you want, you're clean now."

Horsea looked from Jet, to the sponge at his feet, to the tub beside him. For a moment Horsea looked simply stunned, and then angry. It shot sludge at Jet, which he ducked, and missed by mere inches.

All of a sudden, Horsea began to glow, as if it was turning into light itself, and then it disappeared. Jet was shocked, "What the-"

It was then he saw the source of Horsea's disappearance. Professor Oak was standing at the door way holding a pokeball. Jet suddenly realized that it was Horsea's pokeball, and that Oak had recalled it.

Professor Oak walked over to Jet and grabbed his arm, "Are you hurt?"

Jet shook his head and Oak let go. Behind Oak, the guy who was cleaning the pool earlier said, "You see, sir? Tha Horsea jus' wen ballistic an stauted attacking tha kid, ya know?"

Oak looked down at the pokeball in his hands, and then turned the button in the middle of it until it clicked. The pokeball suddenly shrink to half its original size. Oak then looked at Jet and asked, "What the hell happened?"

Jet explained the entire story about his little battle with Horsea. When he was finished, Oak asked, "Didn't Darrel warn you not to touch that Horsea because of his aggression issues?"

Jet was confused, "Darrel?"

"He was the one who was supposed to train you today!"

Jet shook his head, "There were three guys in here when I came in. They just told me to scrub and dunk all of the Pokémon and to start with the Horsea. They said he liked taking baths."

As Jet said it he saw the three guys who were apparently supposed to train him standing in the door way. One of them said, "Professor, we just heard-"

But the Oak cut him off, "You were supposed to _train_ him today! Not trick him into provoking the Pokémon to attack him!"

For a moment, the boys were all silent. Then one of them said, "We thought he would stop trying to wash the Horsea if it snapped at him. We didn't think-"

"Exactly," snapped Oak, "you didn't think at all. Finish cleaning the rest of these Pokémon and then go home, I'll send you your final paycheck in the mail. And you're lucky I don't call the police."

The three boys looked hurt and ashamed, "Yes, sir," they said in unison.

Oak then turned to Jet, "You head home as well, and take tomorrow off. You will still get paid for the hours," Oak said cutting over Jet's look of protest, "Right now you are in no position to work."

Oak looked down at Jet's shirt, which Jet just now notice had blood stains on it. He quickly pulled his shirt of and saw that much of his left side had bruises and scrapes from where the water gun hit.

Behind him, the pool cleaner let out a low whistle, "Ya got some preddy mean welts on ya back ere, you!"

Jet ran his fingers over his back and felt the welts, "Yeah, I guess that must be from Horsea's Bubble."

Oak had a pained look on his face. "If you no longer wish to work here because of this incident, I understand."

Jet shook his head, "You kidding me sir?" he said with a pained smile on his face, "most fun I had all summer!"


	4. To Be a Trainer

**Author's Notes:**

**The next few chapters may move a little fast, but that is only because I have a lot of time to cover. I think the main reason I don't like writing is because I'm such a slow typist and I have so much story to cover.**

**But anyways, time to get on with the show. Don't forget to review!**

To Be a Trainer

Jet's mom was beside herself when she saw her baby's battle wounds. "I should go down there and give that Professor Oak a piece of my mind!"

"No mom," said Jet, "It's a hazard of the job. I knew what I was getting into when I accepted the position."

"He's right, hun," Jet's father said, "You know how dangerous it is raising Pokémon. Especially one you didn't capture yourself. They're just too aggressive to be locked in a small aquarium like that."

This intensified Mrs. Brown's anger, "They should not allow kids that young to be around Pokémon! It's just not safe! You always hear stories on the news about kids who end up injured or killed because they go out with dreams of being a Pokémon trainer.

"I didn't have my first Pokémon until I was twenty, and even than it was a handful, and it was only a wild Sentret! But I figured, 'Oh, it will be fine! He can work for Oak. After all, he's a fucking professional! There is no way he'd let my baby get hurt!' What the hell kind of operation are they running over there? Leaving a fourteen year old alone with twenty Pokémon? Twenty! One of whom is potentially homicidal!"

Jet's dad cut in, "Well Oak did fire the people who left Jet alone with the Pokémon. And gave Jet the next few days off with pay, that's pretty reasona-"

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STAND THERE AND PRETEND EVERYTHING'S FINE AND FUCKING DANDY, DAVID! LOOK AT YOUR SON'S BACK!" and with that, Mrs. Brown turn Jet around and pulled up his shirt. "You can't tell me that this is alright! It's not alright! He can't work there anymore!"

Jet turned around, "Wait, mom, no! I want to work there! It's fine, really! Professor Oak came as soon as he heard I was in trouble! Besides, I can't exactly go work at McDonald's now. Not after getting hired at the research center, do you know what kind of benefits I get for staying over there long term?"

Jet's mom didn't look convinced so he went on, "If I stay there, then I'll get to take all kinds of courses on Pokémon training for free that most trainers pay thousands to take! By the time I graduate high school, I can have my Class A trainer's license. That's the equivalent of having a college degree in Pokémon training!

"You have to take all kinds of courses in medicine and battle strategies to get one. Do you know how much money is in the Pokémon field? If I get my class A, I could end up making over seventy thousand a year just for traveling and doing field research! And that's fresh out of high school!"

Jet's dad said, "That's good and everything but I thought you wanted to be a doctor?"

Jet was about to answer when his mom cut in, "You don't make that much starting straight out of high school. Even with a class A you need experience in order to get a good job in that field, which puts you in the field of fire!"

"I know mom," Jet said, "but it's still something to fall back on. In case everything doesn't work out in med school, I could make a lot of money studying Pokémon."

Mrs. Brown put her hand on her forehead and sighed, "And you get all of this training for free?"

Jet nodded, "Well, it's not that easy. There are tests I have to take; a lot of them."

Mrs. Brown nodded and said, "If you come home with anymore injuries then I don't care if this job pays your way through medical school, you will quit. Am I clear?"

Jet nodded, "Yes, mom."

**XXX**

The next day Jet got a call from Brian.

"Jet, dude, everyone is watching the tape."

Jet was confused, "Umm, that's great! Exactly which tape are we talking about here?"

Brian laughed over the phone, "The security footage of you giving the Horsea a bath! Well actually, it's more like an all-out battle royal betw- holy shit dude that looked like it hurt!"

Jet felt a sense of embarrassment, "Wait Brian who's everyone? Are you guys watching it now?

He heard Brian wince through the phone, "I mean everyone as in _everyone_. Somehow the tape leaked on YouTube, and we're all on our break… hold on."

Jet was getting annoyed, _YouTube? Are you fucking serious?_ Brian's voice came back over the phone, "Dude, are you there? We just watched the part with the net, Amy just said that was the coolest shit see ever seen in her life."

Then Jet heard Amy's voice through the phone, "You're awesome Jet!"

Brian spoke again, "Yeah, Amy says you're-"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard her." Jet went from feeling annoyed, to feeling very pleased with himself for some reason. He sat down at his computer and went on YouTube.

"Brian, what's the name of the video?"

"Umm," Brian asked Jet's question, "It's kid gets pwned, that's p-w-n-e-d, by a Horsea."

Jet felt less pleased with himself after hearing the title. He found the video and pulled it up. From the outside looking in, it was a pretty awesome video.

"Damn! 249,342 hits? Already?"

Brian laughed, "Yeah dude, I know! Oh wait, hold on… I got to get back to work, break times over. Hope you feel better, man!"

"Alright, bye." Jet was pleased to see that an outsider couldn't tell he puked after getting tackled due to the camera angle. He was less pleased, however, that his yell from getting hit with the bubble attack was completely audible.

Jet read the comments for the video. Most of them were observations about exactly how painful those Water-Guns looked. There were some negative comments:

Wooow this guy cant even handle a horsea? And he works for a Pokémon lab?

Or:

Haha, 2:54 he yells like biotch

There were also some positive ones:

Damn, that kid can take a beating.

Or:

This guy doesn't need a pokeball or his own Pokémon, he just catches them with a fucking net! Badass

When Jet returned to work he found that everybody and their mothers had seen the footage of his battle with Horsea. Although he did have to endure some ridicule for getting his ass handed to him by a Pokémon one tenth his size, most of the people agreed that his efforts were nothing short of valiant; if not a bit stupid.

Those who had dealt with said Horsea in the past had hailed Jet as a hero. Even the Pokémon seemed to have gained a newfound respect for Jet. During his first time at the Aquatic Pokémon Daycare since the Horsea incident, every Pokémon in the room lined up to receive their bath without fuss. What surprised him most, however, was that the first Pokémon in line for a bath was Horsea.

"He must have gained some sense of respect for you since your last encounter." Professor Oak said. He was supervising the bathing of the aquatic Pokémon to prevent further incident, at least until he could find a replacement supervisor. Brian and Amy were with him this time as well.

"So," began Jet, "Horsea was just testing me the first time?"

Oak shrugged, "Perhaps. Most Pokémon tend to test new trainers to ascertain their worth. However, I don't ever remember a class C Pokémon giving such a rigorous test."

Jet, who was now rinsing Horsea off, said, "Well I'm glad we can get along now."

Professor Oak, however, said, "Enjoy it while it lasts. Ever since your little stunt got on the internet, I've been receiving offers all over the place for that Horsea. A young girl who works at the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym paid top dollar for it. I'm sending it to her tomorrow."

Jet nodded, albeit a little disappointed. He was starting to like that little guy. "Do you know what her name was?"

Professor Oak scratched his head, "I don't remember the last name but the first one was Rain, or Misty, or something like that."

Over the next few months, Jet had fell in love with his job. The Pokémon all had different personalities; different likes and dislikes, different ways of communicating, little quirks that made them unique. It was a difficult job, as Pokémon were constantly leaving and coming in. Jet had to find a way to make each Pokémon trust him in order to properly feed, bathe, or brush them without complaint.

Most would test him by trying to intimidate him with glares and growls. After a while, Jet became very good at standing his ground. Some attacked outright; these required a lot more patience to win over. Those that have been abused by their previous masters tended to be afraid of human contact. In these cases Jet's best weapon was compassion.

When school came around, Jet was saddened to cut his work hours. In school Amy would occasionally hang out with Jet and Brian. But for the most part the three of them spent a lot more time together at work.

Jet had been taking a lot of online courses that had to do with Pokémon training on top of work and school. This restricted his social life. But as Brian and Amy were taking the same courses, they would usually spend their free time comparing notes and testing each other.

By the time next summer rolled around all three of them got promoted from Jr. Pokémon Daycare Assistant to the position of Jr. Pokémon Trainer. Jet was now fifteen, and turning sixteen in November. Once he turned sixteen, he would be able to take the tests for his Class B.

Professor Oak had promised him that, as long as he got his class B by January of next year, he would get promoted with Brian and Amy to Sr. Pokémon trainer. This was not only a twenty percent pay raise, but it also allowed them to care for the more powerful Pokémon as well as start courses early for their Class A.

As a Jr. Pokémon trainer, he had many of his old responsibilities as a Daycare Assistant. The difference was not only higher pay and more seniority, but he would be able to teach Pokémon attacks and supervise the battles the more aggressive Pokémon had among themselves.

Jet even sometimes got to participate in mock battles; but these were strictly supervised and attacks weren't as powerful in order to prevent injury. There also was never actually a victor, the Pokémon would just take turns practicing attacking and dodging for a set time period.

During the month of July, the Research Center shut down operations for a day for the annual company picnic at Pallet Beach; just south of Pallet Town and not too far from the research center.

Jet got to invite his family, which they were surprisingly enthusiastic about.

"Aww, my baby is going to his first company picnic for work, how sweet!" Jet's mom seemed absolutely delighted.

"Sure," said Jet, "We can bring Samson too. Everyone else is bringing their own Pokémon."

And so they headed out to the beach, Samson and twins in tow. Jet's dad was looking forward to barbequing, as he hasn't had a chance to do so all summer. The twins were excited just to go swimming, Mrs. Brown just wanted to tan.

When they finally got there, Jet set off to find Brian, who was skulking by the showers under the boardwalk for some reason. "Dude, what are you doing over here, everyone else is chillin by the water."

Brian shook his head, "I can't go over there and face her."

Jet really wished Brian would explain himself more often, "Who?"

Brian looked up, mortified, "Amy! I asked her out!"

Jet really didn't know what to say, "Oh. So… I take it that didn't go as well as you thought?"

Brian laughed, "Apparently she just started going out with this dude Brett like two weeks ago! I should have asked her out a long time ago. Now it's going to be awkward between us!"

Once again Jet was at a loss at what to say. He himself had a little crush on Amy, but never tried anything because he knew that Brian was damn near in love with her. Seeing Brian hurt like this made him feel bad. But Brian was usually the happy one, so Jet had absolutely no clue on how to console him.

"Just come back with me. We'll get some food, shoot the breeze, go swimming, and we'll worry about Amy later."

Brian miserably nodded, and together they headed back to the barbeque. They were intercepted, however, by Amy herself.

"Hey Jet. Brian, can I speak to you alone for a minute?"

Brian shrugged and followed Amy elsewhere. Jet had just enough time to register that Amy looked amazing in a bikini before he heard a gurgling noise behind him.

He looked over and saw a Krabby underneath the Boardwalk. Jet watched with interest as the Krabby picked up something small and shiny from the sand. When he did, he clumsily dropped it with his claws. He tried to pick it up again but its spherical shape prevented the Krabby from getting a good hold on it.

After the Krabby's fourth attempt, Jet realized what the object was; an ultraball. Thinking fast, Jet had a little bag of Fritos in the pocket of his trunks. He pulled it out and cautiously approached the Krabby.

"Hey buddy, you want some Fritos? They're honey bbq! Mmm," Jet hummed eating a Frito, "that's good shit."

The Krabby made a sound that was like a cross between gurgling and a weird insect ticking noise. It then began to wobble toward Jet and the Fritos, the ultraball forgotten.

"That's it," said Jet as he was pouring out a Frito trail. He poured the rest of the bag out at the end of the trail, "There you go."

The Krabby seemed delighted with the Fritos. So delighted, in fact, that it didn't even notice when jet walked toward the ultraball and picked it up. It was enlarged and the button in the middle was white. That meant the ball was unoccupied; the button would have had a bluish hue had it have belonged to an actual Pokémon.

It wasn't exactly difficult to figure out how it got there. During the night time around summer, Kingler tend to procreate on this beach. It's the only time when powerful Pokémon are ever found near pallet town in the wild. A trainer must have spotted a Kingler, no doubt either on their way to the Research center or Cinnabar Island just across the sea.

If that Trainer would have thrown an ultraball at it, which would explain why it's enlarged, they probably would never find it again. During the night time this beach had little to no visibility. And as these ultraballs went for twelve hundred a pop, one trainer's loss was definitely another's gain.

Jet rinsed the sand off the ultraball in the shower and shrunk it. He then headed toward the barbeque. He knew Brian was going to be jealous as shit when he found out Jet had an ultraball. After all, they were very high performance balls.

Jet found Brian and Amy talking to Professor Oak. Brian no longer looked depressed. "Hey, guys, look what I found a Krabby playing with under the boardwalk!" He held out the ultraball.

"Are you fucking serious?" Brian said incredulously. He then grinned, "Dude, you could probably catch a wild Rattata now or something!"

Jet smiled to, "Nah, I'm saving this for something a little less common."

Professor Oak clapped Jet on the shoulder, "Actually this ties into today's lesson. I wanted to show you three how to catch a Pokémon today."

Brian, Jet, and Amy were all stunned. "What?" Amy said, "How?"

Oak gestured to some rocks down the far side of the beach, "This beach known for its overpopulation of Krabby. I would like to take you three over to their nest for a quick lesson. That is, unless you'd rather play volleyball."

There was a quick stammer of, "No, Sir!" and "We'll go with you!" Professor Oak looked please by their reactions. Together, the four of them headed toward the Krabby's nest.

"I know you've all seen trainer's catch Pokémon on TV," Oak said, "but I assure you; something definitely gets lost in translation."

They arrived at a spot with rocks and cesspools; the area was teeming with Krabby of all sizes. "So," began Oak, "which one, which one?"

Brian pointed to what looked like it was easily the biggest of the lot. "That one, sir, definitely."

"Indeed," Oak went into his fanny pack and pulled out what looked like a quickball. "Follow me." He led them around the nest until they were right in front of the chosen Krabby. When it noticed their presence, it turned around to face them and gurgled threateningly.

Professor Oak enlarged the quickball and pressed the button on it. It opened up and a white light burst out of it and took the form of an Emolga. Emolga flew around Oak's head, and then landed in the no man's land between Krabby and the Pokémon Professor.

"It's important to choose the right Pokémon for every fight," said Oak, "Emolga, an electric type, has a big advantage over Krabby."

The Krabby looked at the Emolga and angrily gurgled into the air. All of a sudden, Krabby began to glow brightly and started swelling and growing at an alarming rate; Krabby just evolved into a Kingler. A fucking Kingler.

Amy gasped, Brian let out a low whistle, and Professor Oak said, "That's- unexpected."

He then shook his head and yelled to his Emolga, "Use Quick Attack!"

The Emolga wasted no time at all, and shot at Kingler like a bullet. Kingler, however, caught Emolga in a vice grip before it could even make contact. It had surprisingly fast reflexes. It then used Vice Grip to squeeze Emolga until it screamed.

"Use Thundershock!" said Oak, alarmed by Kingler's unexpected power. Sparks appeared around Emolga's cheeks, and it shocked Kingler. Kingler was visibly hurt, but did not relent its hold on Emolga.

Oak held out the quick ball and pressed the button in the middle to recall Emolga.

Kingler growled triumphantly, and the horde of Krabby behind it gurgled appreciatively.

Professor Oak said, "This Kingler is at a very high level! My guess is it was ready to evolve a long time ago but wanted to stay a Krabby."

"That must be why it was so big!" Brian exclaimed.

Oak nodded, "Must be." He then pulled a great ball out of the fanny pack. He pressed the button and a Furret popped out. Kingler clapped his claws threateningly and made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

"Furret, use Dig!"

Furret jumped up and dove into the sand. When it was underground, Kingler pointed one of his claws at Oak and used Bubblebeam. Oak jumped out the way with surprising reflexes.

"Furret now!" Oak shouted from the ground. The ground behind Kingler burst, and Furret hit the shit out of Kingler. Kingler fell back, grabbing Furret's tail as he did.

Furret screeched and used Sand attack. As the beach was filled with nothing but sand, a huge sand cloud surrounded everybody making it difficult to tell what was going on.

Everyone coughed as the sound of Kingler's growls and Furret's screeches echoed. Jet was afraid for Furret; that Kingler made Horsea look like a stuffed animal. When the sand cleared, they saw Furret running around Kingler, making it difficult to catch.

Kingler kept shooting Bubblebeam at Furret and missing, so Jet, Brian, and Amy were scrambling around trying to avoid the attacks.

"Furret return!" Oak recalled his Pokémon. Just when Jet was thinking to himself that this was a horrible lesson, Oak through another pokeball out, yelling "Go Haunter!"

The Haunter burst forth, and let out a chilling laugh. Oak called, "Haunter use Shadow claw!"

Haunter flew toward Kingler. Kingler tried to grab Haunter, but his claw went straight threw him. _Smart_, Jet thought to himself. Haunter slashed Kingler with Shadow Claw, and Kingler let out a cry of pain. It tried to use Bubblebeam, but missed as Haunter disappeared behind it.

"Use Nightshade!"

Nightshade wasn't a visible attack, but Kingler was clearly in pain. Oak then said, "Now use Hypnosis!"

Haunters Eyes started to glow red and Oak shouted, "Look away!"

Jet quickly turned his head. After a few seconds he heard a loud thump. He looked back and saw the Kingler lying in the sand, clearly asleep. Haunter laughed his sick little laugh as Oak threw an enlarged netball at Kingler.

Kingler went into the ball, which remained stationary. "They can't escape if they're asleep, remember that." Oak said, out of breath.

He went over to the Net Ball and picked it up. Jet followed him with the others. He turned to face them, "Make sure you choose the right Pokeball for the job."

He then shrunk the Net Ball and pocketed it. Behind them, the Krabby were becoming restless and Oak said, "Uh Oh, I was afraid they'd be angry." He then threw another Pokeball and sent out a Butterfree.

"Use Sleep Powder!" He told the Butterfree. It nodded and flew over the Krabby, releasing a purple mist from its wings as it did so.

Once the Krabby were asleep, Professor Oak recalled both the Butterfree, and the Haunter. He then turned to his students and said, "Obviously our little lesson didn't go as planned. But there are key points to learn from this little fiasco.

"First and foremost, preparation. You must expect the unexpected. I didn't know I'd be facing a Kingler today, but I brought a high level Hunter with me in case things got messy. I also brought Butterfree because I figured catching a Krabby from its nest may provoke the other Krabby to retaliate.

"Make sure you bring the right Pokémon for the job, the right pokeballs for the job, and while we are on the subject bring more than one pokeball. And _always_, always, always, always have a backup plan."

Brian, Jet, and Amy all said "Yes, sir!" in unison.

Professor Oak nodded and said, "One thing the TV doesn't say about catching and raising Pokémon, is that it's a dangerous and nasty business."


	5. The Three Eggs

**Author's Notes:**

**Last chapter I meant to put in a conversation between Brian and Jet in which Brian explains the conversation he had with Amy while Jet was finding the ultra-ball.**

**I kind of screwed the pooch on that one and forgot all about it. What happened was Amy apologized and said that she liked Brian and hoped they could maintain their friendship. Nothing special, just wanted to throw that out there.**

**And in case you're wondering, the story doesn't take place exclusively in Pallet Town. The first eight or so chapters of the story just explain how Jethro came into Pokémon training and why he left on his journey.**

**One thing to note is that Pokémon will be a lot more dangerous in this story than in the anime and the games. Also, Jet will be a much better trainer than Ash was. I'm not saying he will win every battle, but after a while he definitely becomes a force to be reckoned with.**

**And there won't be a set Pokémon lineup, Jet will be catching a lot of Pokémon and rotating accordingly. He isn't going to train every Pokémon he catches, but he will have handful of useful ones under his belt.**

**Oh yeah, and Team Rocket is going to be a lot more dangerous and a lot less thematic. They won't appear **_**that**_** often, but they will be a background presence. In case you're wondering, the story will very loosely follow the plot of the games.**

**I probably should have explained all of this in the beginning, but I guess it must've just slipped my mind. Anyways…**

The Three Eggs

At the age of seventeen, Jethro had finally decided what he wanted to be when he grew up. After taking an extensive amount of courses for his Class A license, (he has had his Class B for quite some time now), and working at the research center for almost three years, he decided that he wanted to be a Pokémon Veterinarian.

He had wanted to be a doctor when he was younger; but after spending so much time training and raising Pokémon, Jet figured he had found his true calling. The best part was he would get his Class A by the end of the summer; just before he turned eighteen.

To do so, he would have to get high scores on all of his tests, something Jet never seemed to find particularly difficult. Jet looked down at his essay question.

_Describe, briefly, how Pokémon storage works. Include both capsule storage and digital storage in your answer._

Jet smiled at the question and began to write:

_Pokémon capsule storage is a term used to refer to the containment of a given Pokémon species within a Pokémon storage capsule device, (or pokeball, for short). Once captured, a Pokémon can be homed to only one Pokeball for the remainder of its life. Exceptions to this rule occur when the pokeball in question is destroyed; a rare occurrence._

_Similarly, once a pokeball is occupied by a specific Pokémon, it can no longer be used on another, (no exceptions). Every pokeball can be occupied by only one Pokémon at a time._

_Pokeballs vary in type, but they all have the same basic principles when it comes to storage. They can hold any species of Pokémon, (No matter how large). Once the Pokémon is captured within a pokeball, it can only be released by external means. Vice versa, the captured Pokémon can always be recalled back into its ball, as long as it is within proper distance of the storage device._

_When the Pokeball is enlarged, a Pokémon can be captured, summoned, or recalled by its trainer. Also, while the Pokémon is actually in the pokeball, it will have awareness, (albeit very limited), of its surroundings on the outside._

_When the pokeball is reduced, then the Pokémon inside will be in a hibernated state of suspended animation. It will not have to eat, sleep, relieve itself, nor will it even have any thoughts other than dreams. It is hypothesized that a Pokémon could potentially live forever if in this state undisturbed._

_When it comes to digital storage, the Pokémon is sent to a storage center in its catatonic state. It remains at the storage center until withdrawn from said center by the trainer via computer, (hence the name digital storage.)_

After finishing his essay question, Jet set his pencil down. As far as he was told, this was the last portion of his test on Pokémon population control and storage. Jet rubbed his eyes, tired from the day's proceedings. He was glad that this Saturday he would have the day off. It was the first real day off he has had in a while.

When Jet was dismissed by the examiners, he walked to the bus stop with Amy and Brian.

"What did you think of the test? Was it easy?" Brian, who had gotten his Class A about a month ago, had an annoying habit of going over Jet's exams with him.

"Yeah, I guess."

Brian persisted, "They were always easy for me, I especially enjoyed the battle simulators."

Amy clucked her tongue, "Leave Jet alone, will you? He still has another three months of testing before he gets his Class A."

Jet smiled. Amy was getting hers next week; as soon as her paperwork went through, but Jet appreciated her chastising Brian all the same.

Jet woke up two days later to his phone ringing. He picked it up and mumbled sleepily, "Hello?"

Amy's voice came over the other end. "Hey Jet. Grandpa wants you to come in today, says he has an important job for you."

Jet groaned, "S'my day off, Amy! Does he know that?"

Amy laughed, "Well, duh? He says you'll get overtime."

Jet groaned again, "I'll be there within the hour."

"Ok, see you then, sweetie!"

Jet hung up the phone and rolled over. He supposed this was probably what he gets for wanting a day off. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.

When Jet arrived at the Pokémon lab, Doris said, "He's waiting for you in his office."

Jet nodded, and continued on his way to Professor Oak's office, wondering what was so important as to have Oak tell Doris to expect him.

When Jet entered the office, Oak said, "Close the door."

When Jet did so, Professor Oak gestured toward three Pokémon eggs on a table by the window and said, "Can you identify these eggs?"

Jet was confused. _Is this why he sent for me? To give me a test on identifying Pokémon eggs?_

Jet looked at the eggs with interest. One was large and green. The middle one was smaller; it was also blue and almost shell shaped. The last one was red. This one Jet recognized immediately.

He pointed at the red one and said, "This is a Charmander egg. Charizard is one of my favorite Pokémon, so that's an easy one. This one," Jet said pointing at the blue one, "belongs to a water Pokémon. Judging by the shape and the hue, I'd say it belongs to a Squirtle.

"The last one is more difficult, but judging by the shape of the spots, the size, and the fact that the other two were both starters native to the Kanto region, I'd say it's a Bulbasaur."

A starter is a name for a Pokémon of grass, water, or fire type that evolved twice. Once usually before level twenty into a three star Pokémon. Then again usually sometime in its thirties into a five star. Researchers agree that these kind of Pokémon were the best type to train when just starting out.

Professor Oak seemed impressed with Jet's observations. "Very good, and you are correct with all three. Have you ever heard of a man named Eugene Adams?"

Jet nodded, "He's a Pokémon breeder, famous for breeding and selling rare Pokémon. People call 'Mr. Pokémon'. Brian was talking about buying a Dratini from him when he raised the money."

Oak smiled, "Yes, he is quite fond of that nick name. He is actually an acquaintance of mine. He is usually the person to go to if you want starter Pokémon, no matter what region.

"I was at his ranch yesterday when I learned that he had these three starter eggs, all of which were laid at the same time. This is an extremely rare occurrence and an excellent opportunity."

Jet started to catch on, "So you want to study their growth? Starters usually hatch at the same rate, so you will be able to do a comparative study on how fast they grow in the same environment, right?"

Oak nodded, "Exactly, but there is more to it. I want to see how they're behaviors compare while being raised under the exact same environment and under the exact same conditions. I also want to make sure while they are growing, their power levels and their stats are syncing at about the same rate, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Jet said, "but that's extremely difficult to do, especially if this is a long term experiment."

Oak sighed, "yes it is, which is why this experiment is only going to be for three months, after which time I will auction these Pokémon off. Not that I had to pay for them; Eugene owed me a favor, you see.

"It is just too difficult to make this a yearlong experiment like I would have liked. The way I see it, they should hatch just as summer starts, so I will sell them just as summer ends."

He then turned and faced Jet, "I want you to head the study. You will be in charge of their training, diet, and upbringing. You and only you."

Jet was shocked, "Wha- Why me?"

Oak smiled, "Because I need the same trainer to train all three Pokémon at once for this experiment to work. Because you are the one trainer I have who has an in depth knowledge of Pokémon medicine that doesn't have to treat a dozen other sick Pokémon a day. Because I sincerely believe that you are one of the best Pokémon trainers to walk through these halls."

Jet was speechless, "But Brian and Amy-"

But Oak cut him off, "Both excellent trainer's. They both are very intelligent for their age and are both highly capable. But I have been watching your career closely over the past few years and have witnessed you go from an intelligent boy who seemed to be good at connecting with Pokémon, to a trainer whose knowledge surpassed that of ninety percent of those under my employment.

"You know Pokémon, inside and out. You know their capabilities, their habits, how to bond with them, and most impressively, how to work them until they are at their full potential. The Pokémon you train end up being the most powerful ones in the lab, and that is without using them in serious battles!

"You know how to keep your head when something goes wrong and the situation becomes potentially dangerous. Not to mention your skill when it comes to medicine and dieting rivals that of my professional doctors!"

Jet didn't know what to say. Coming from Professor Oak, that was the biggest compliment anyone has ever given him, including the one time when Amy told him he looked hot.

"Thank you sir," said a humble Jet, "I'll do it."

Oak grinned, "Excellent. Now, I have some conditions. First; no battles. You can let them do mock battles and practice their attacks but that's it. Second; you must constantly keep track of their power and stats to ensure it remains even. Third; no pokeballs. I don't want them contained until they are ready to be sold, understand?"

Jet nodded, and Oak said, "Excellent. Now, I have hired two new Jr. Pokémon Daycare Assistants for the summer. They will be your assistants until the end of the experiment. They have been given strict instructions to do nothing but feed and clean the Pokémon without your supervision."

Oak then went over to his desk, pressed a button on the intercom, and said, "You can let them in now."

Two kids, both fourteen by the look of them, filed into the office. "This is Chris, and this is Gina. They will be your assistants. This is Jethro; He will be your supervisor."

They nodded hello and Professor Oak spent the rest of the meeting giving them instructions on how he wanted the birth to go, and the preparations that were involved. Jet would graduate in a few days, so he would be able to spend about eighteen hours a day with the new Pokémon. He was about to make a lot of overtime.

Over the next couple of weeks Jet's job was simply to monitor the activity of the eggs via ultrasound and take notes on their behavior. Brian and Amy did not envy this job, and Jet couldn't blame them. It was the dullest thing he ever did at the Research center.

Sometimes he would have his assistants take notes while he went online and did his trainer's courses. Other times Brian and Amy would visit during their breaks with food. They would hang out and play cards during these occasions.

During the day of their expected hatching there was a lot of movement inside the egg; as planned.

"Chris, inform Professor Oak that the hatch should begin in an hour and a half." Chris nodded and hurried off. "Gina, go down to the medical wing and see Dr. Lowry, tell him give you that kit that I requested yesterday."

Gina said, "No problem," and she was off as well.

Jet then put on a lab coat and some gloves, and then began mixing a vitamin formula for the Pokémon to drink when they hatched. He used a blender to mix the vitamins with pecha berries to give it a sweet flavor.

He also went into a little fridge where he prepared the Pokémon's meals. For Bulbasaur, he prepared a salad of berries and leaves that were used to promote bone growth. For Squirtle, Jet had cut strips of raw sea bass. And for Charmander, raw steak chunks that were cut into bitable cubes.

Jet had done a ton of research on Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle online during his egg monitoring sessions. He paid extra close attention to their diets, as well as their growth patterns and behavioral habits. Jet had already put plans in motion to raise their EV's as high as possible while they were young so that when they got older, they would be very well rounded starters.

Professor Oak said he wanted them to be at level five by the end of the summer. Normally this is a piece of cake; but Jet wasn't allowed to battle them or use level growing medicines such as rare candies. This made Jet's task all but impossible. They could do all the strength training they wanted to raise their stats, but the only way to raise their overall power level was to battle. And trying to level up a baby Pokémon with mock battles was like trying to scrub hardwood floors clean with a tooth brush. It was going to be a long summer.

Both Chris and Gina returned. Chris informed Jet that Oak would be there later to watch the hatching. Gina had brought a box with the items he requested. Jet pulled from the box a bunch of empty syringes as well as small bottles of the medicines and vitamins he needed.

"Ok," said Jet, "Grab your lab coats and gloves. After that start preparing the hot towels like we talked about. While they did their task, Jet took one of the syringes and put a very small dose of epinephrine in it.

"What's that needle for?" Chris asked.

"It's to speed up the hatching process."

And with that, he injected the needle into the Bulbasaur egg. He repeated this process with the two other eggs as well. The Bulbasaur egg suddenly cracked.

"Here it comes, get those towels ready!"

As Gina brought over a towel the Bulbasaur hatched. Its eyes were closed tight and it was covered in embryonic fluid. Jet picked it up and handed it to Gina.

"Here clean him off and start feeding him. The salad first and then the bottle."

When Gina wiped Bulbasaur off, she looked down at his face and said, "Aww!"

The Squirtle hatched next and Chris cleaned and fed it. When the Charmander hatched Jet did the same. The Charmander was different. Strangely enough instead of being orange like most of his kind, Charmander was a deep shade of red, like a Charmeleon.

They fed the Pokémon, wrapped them in their warm towels, and then gave them the bottles of formula. Professor Oak came in the room with Brian, Amy, and a host of other people who came to witness the hatching.

"Oh my God," exclaimed Amy, "They are sooooo cute! Can I hold one?"

Jet handed over the Charmander, "I have to give them all their shots anyway."

When Jet gave Bulbasaur his shots, it gave a cute little growl but continued drinking its formula. Squirtle was a lot harder, as he kept withdrawing into his shell between shots. Charmander however, simply looked up at Jet with big, gorgeous eyes.

"This little guy is a champ!" Amy said, handing Charmander back to Jet.

One of the other trainers asked, "Why is it so red?"

Jet shrugged, "Genetic anomaly. They're rare, but not unheard of."

After the Pokémon were finished with the bottles Jet and his assistants rocked the Pokémon to sleep. Charmander grabbed Jet's lab coat with a small, but surprisingly firm grip.

Amy gave another little "aww!" as the Pokémon were placed on little carts with small cushions prepared for them to sleep on. Brian walked up from behind Jet and clapped him on the shoulder, whispering in his ear, "This is the most adorable thing I've seen since the last time Amy wire a bikini."


	6. Pokemon, I Choose You!

**Author's Notes:**

**I'm not sure if this was mentioned before, but I'm kind of going a little AU when it comes to Pokémon moves.**

**First of all, they can learn more than four moves at a time. Also, they will have to practice every move they learn in order to get good at it. So when you're training a Pokémon, you aren't just trying to raise its stats, you are also trying to make their attacks more powerful.**

**Some of the attacks in my story will vary from the game in terms of power and intensity, or even the effect of the move. Many of the attacks you will see will be improvised or made up, depending on the trainer's style.**

**Also, which moves a Pokémon can learn will change as well. I see no reason why a Pokémon with teeth and a mouth can't learn bite. The way I see it, if it looks like a certain Pokémon has the potential to do an attack, they can probably do it.**

**Let me know what you think of the story and the battle system. We're getting to the good stuff!**

Pokémon, I Choose You!

It took about two weeks before the baby Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle were ready for training. After a lot of dieting, a lot no's and "we do that outside's", Jet finally got the Pokémon to the point to where they were ready to learn attacks.

"Ok," Jet told the Pokémon, "First things first. Before I teach you guys how to battle, we need to do some conditioning and strength training."

They looked at him with slightly confused eyes. Jet laughed and said, "We're going running!" And running they went. Every morning at five am he would take the Pokémon for a two mile run. He had to run at a mild pace so that Squirtle could keep up with the group.

He would also have them do stretches and little strength building exercises. Sometimes Jet would make them push a cart filled with rocks around a parking lot. Bulbasaur was not fond of this one as it was always awkward for him. Other times he would set up obstacle courses that required them to crouch and jump regularly to get to the end.

One day he placed a mound of sand bags in front of a thick tree and told them, "This will be your tackling post. Now with the move Tackle, you want to make sure you get a good enough distance at first to get a running start."

As Jet spoke he demonstrated by crouching low some ten meters from the sand bag mound, "You want to run, full speed, at your target. When you make contact, you want to preferably use your shoulder against a soft spot of your opponents like their belly." He demonstrated by running into the sandbags, using his shoulder as the contact point.

"Now you guys try." They each took turns tackling Jet's make-shift post. From this exercise Jet was able to see that Bulbasaur was the best at using Tackle, whereas Squirtle was the weakest.

In order to further help them build speed and strength for their physical attacks, Jet got Charmander a binding brace. This was a device that was originally designed to help condition Sandshrew by restricting its movement, making it stronger.

The brace went around Charmander's neck, arms, and legs. It pulled all of Charmander's limbs toward its center of gravity, forcing it into a defense curl. Charmander had to constantly fight against the brace in order to stand up straight and move around.

"I know it hurts and it's uncomfortable," Jet said to Charmander, "But it's only for a few hours. You have to keep fighting at it if you want to get stronger. Just remember you only get as much out of it as you put in."

Charmander nodded, and began doing the stretches that Jet had taught him to build flexibility. The binding brace wouldn't work on either Bulbasaur or Squirtle's body type, but Jet had an alternative. He took them to the aquatic day care and got them started on waterfall training.

"You will be climbing this slope while encountering resistance. These water Pokémon have volunteered to use their Water-Guns to push you back. Don't give up, keep driving forward."

While Charmander ran laps around the pool with his binding brace, Jet, Bulbasaur and Squirtle went on the wall climb platform at the deep end of the pool. Above them, seven water Pokémon began to spray them with a gentle Water-Gun. All three of them fell into the water below. Jet grabbed onto one of the hand holds and told his Pokémon, "Don't quit! If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again!"

After a week of this resistance training, all three Pokémon's performances improved dramatically. Squirtle was lapping Jet during their morning runs. Bulbasaur tackled the sandbags so hard one day, they simply burst. Professor Oak put in an order for tackling equipment similar to the ones they use in football training.

They're efforts didn't stop there, however. Jet had gotten all the Pokémon bones to bite similar to the one his mom had gotten for Samson. "After every meal, you will chew on these for at least ten minutes. This will strengthen your teeth and help you bite harder."

Jet had also gotten Charmander and Squirtle a scratching post. He began to teach them how to use Scratch as if they were boxing, including how to bob and weave. Bulbasaur couldn't learn to box, but he could learn how to bob and weave as well. He had them do mock boxing matches to allow them to hone their skills.

After a month and a half of intense training, all three Pokémon were already at level five. Considering they have never before been in an actual battle, this was quite an achievement. Jet had their speed, attack, and special attack all at very high numbers for their level. Their defense and special defense was a little above average, but in Jet's opinion they still needed work.

Charmander could scratch, tackle, and bite as close quarters attacks. Jet also taught Charmander to use growl and leer as well as tail whip, to lower his opponents attack and defense respectively.

Bulbasaur couldn't scratch, but he could bite and tackle with the best of them. He also had a very impressive growl attack, which could almost stop an attacker in its tracks.

Squirtle could not only bite, tackle and scratch, but he could also use his tail to do a powerful pound attack. He also knew tail whip and withdraw, the ladder being excellent for defensive measures.

"You're doing a real good job with these Pokémon, Jet." Brian said one day while visiting with Amy, "Just look at these muscles on Charmander."

Amy, meanwhile, was petting Bulbasaur. "This one is really affectionate."

Jet laughed, "That's only because you're a female. If Brian tried to pet him like that, he'd bite his hand off."

Amy laughed, "Are they all males?"

Jet nodded. Brian looked down at the Squirtle he was petting, "Thanks for not biting off my fingers, buddy."

The following week Jet got all three Pokémon to the point where they learned their first special moves. Squirtle learned Bubble. Jet would have Squirtle practice by trying to direct his attack at stationary objects first. After Squirtle got his aim down, Jet used the pull method to help him with target practice.

Charmander learned Ember, a fire attack without much power or range. Instead of working on accuracy, Jet tried to build up Ember's intensity by feeding Charmander herbs used for increasing the heat of his fire breath. He would then have Charmander melt big rocks and evaporate puddles. Jet made a mental note that the Ember only had a range of about six feet.

Bulbasaur learned the highly useful Leach Seed. Jet had Bulbasaur do target practice on trees. The attack didn't raise his health by a lot, but Jet figured it would work well in a tight spot if uninterrupted.

By the time the study was over, all three starters were at level ten. They had all mastered the moves Jet had taught them, and all had power far above that of their evolutionary level. Jet was saddened when Oak announced that the Pokémon were going on auction in two days. After all of that work, Jet had really grown attached to all three of those Pokémon. Whoever bought them was going to be a lucky trainer.

Jet had finally gotten his class A just a few days before the end of the experiment. This would mean he could get promoted to Oak's personal aid. With a pay raise, Jet may be able to afford to buy the Pokémon. Then Jet reminded himself, he was saving his money to get a car. Though he had about ten grand saved up for the purpose, there was no way he could afford to buy three Pokémon _and _a car. And even if he could, he would be putting out hundreds of dollars a month just for the up keep. Jet seriously contemplated just forgetting about the car but thought better of it, he needed to get his priorities straight.

Raising Pokémon was just too expensive, and he had bills to pay at home. He couldn't just do what Brian and Amy are doing and leave on some hair brained adventure the beginning of fall could he? He had the money, he was no longer in school, what was stopping him?

To fund his adventure, (his heart started pounding dangerously fast now), he would only be able to afford one of the starters. He knew which one he wanted to choose already, but he had hoped he would be able to keep all three. Making up his mind based solely on impulse, Jet decided that he would head down to the lab tomorrow and tell oak that he wanted to buy a Pokémon.

When he arrived at the research center the next morning, he walked straight up to Doris and asked, "Where is the Professor?"

Doris looked surprised, "He was trying to call you earlier. He told me to tell you to meet him in the main lab."

Jet headed immediately to the main lab and found Oak standing in the back talking to Brian and Amy. When Oak saw Jet, he said, "Ah, Jethro! Exce-"

But Jet cut him off, "I want to buy one of the starters!"

All three of them looked surprised and Oak said, "Well, this kind of ruins my surprise. I was never actually going to sell the starters in the first place. My plan was to give one to each of you when I was finished with my study, free of charge."

Jet stood there in shock. Brian however yelled, "Really? Seriously? You're shitting me right? Oh, sorry. I mean, you're kidding me right?"

Amy, however, flung herself forward and hugged her grandfather, shouting, "Thank you, thank you, thank you thank you!"

Professor Oak laughed looking pleased with himself, "Well, you three are some of my brightest pupils. I always give my star employees a Pokémon when they get their Class A license. And I must say that you kids are lucky, these are three very talented Pokémon. Jethro did an excellent job raising them."

Amy then let go of Oak and hugged Jet, "Jet I love you, you're so freaking awesome!" She than let go and turned back to the professor, "Where are they? Can we see them?"

Oak smiled and walked over to one of the exits and opened the door. In marched Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. All marching forward with their heads held high and a trace of excitement in their eyes. They then stopped and faced their new trainers.

Brian was beside himself, "Oh man this is so great! I've been waiting for this moment all my life!"

Professor Oak turned to Jet, "You are, technically, their original trainer. You get first pick."

Jet nodded and pulled out his ultra-ball. "Bulbasaur, Squirtle, I love you guys with all my heart. But I'm choosing Charmander."

Charmander's eyes lit up as Jet enlarged his ultraball. He aimed it like he was pitching a baseball and threw it at Charmander. Once inside, Jet immediately heard a click, which meant Charmander was captured. Jet picked up the capsule and said, "I'm going to call you… Thorn." Jet named Charmander after a red dragon from a book he once read called _Eldest_. Jet remembered when he read it and the dragon was introduced, all he could think of was that Thorn was probably the most badass name for a dragon ever. Jet then shrunk the ultra-ball and pocketed it.

Brian said, "Alright, then I choose-"

Before he even got the words out, Bulbasaur ran into Amy's arms, who laughed.

Brian laughed too, "I wanted Squirtle anyway. At least he has a sense of humor."

Squirtle, who was laughing at Bulbasaur, ran over to Brian and hugged his leg.

Professor Oak smiled and said, "Excellent."

Brian looked at Jet, "I've been waiting all my life to say this," He then turned and faced Jet, "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle! Winner gets five hundred dollars, do you accept?"

Jet laughed and pulled his ultra-ball out, then enlarged it. "There is no one I'd rather have my first battle with."

Professor Oak said, "I'll be the editor of the battle. Each trainer will use only one Pokémon. When a Pokémon is unable to battle or refuses to battle, then its opponent will be declared the victor."

Jet's Heart started to pound with anticipation as Oak said, "Jethro, you may send out your Pokémon."

Jet grinned and pressed the button on his ultra-ball before throwing into the air. "Go Thorn, let's show 'em what we're made of!"

Thorn popped out of the Ultraball. Both Pokémon faced each other looking just as excited as their trainers.

"And," Oak started, "begin!"

Brian wasted no time, "Squirtle, use Water-Gun!"

Squirtle looked back at Brian and shook his head. Jet said, "He doesn't know that attack yet, he's level ten."

Brian said, "Oh, right! Level ten Squirtle, let's see…"

While Brian was distracted Jet said, "Use Leer!"

Thorns eyes began to glow as if he was using hypnosis. Leer loosens the muscles of the opponent who looks into the attackers eyes, lowering its defense.

"No, Squirtle close your eyes!"

But Squirtle couldn't look away.

"Alright Thorn," Jet called, "Use Tackle!"

Thorn ran at Squirtle full speed.

"Dodge it, Squirtle!"

Squirtle, who had snapped out of its trance, jumped in the air just in time to avoid Jet's tackle.

"Now Squirtle, use Bubble!"

"Use Ember to block his attack!"

No sooner after Squirtle shot glowing bubbles at Thorn did Thorn pop the bubbles with a well-timed Ember.

Jet grinned, "Save Ember for when he tries to hit you with Bubble again, Thorn!"

The Charmander nodded affirmative and closed the distance between him and his opponent to use scratch. It was like watching one of their boxing matches again. Both Pokémon were scratching and slashing, or else bobbing and weaving, neither getting a hit.

Brian looked amazed by their speed, "Wow, you really did do a good job on these two."

Jet however, was yelling, "Keep it up Thorn! Don't be afraid to use that uppercut!" and did not hear Brian. Squirtle tried with all his might, but could not dodge the much faster Charmander's every scratch.

"Let's go, Thorn! One, two, three! One, two, three! There you go!"

Squirtle tried to keep his hands up to block the onslaught, but to no avail. Thorn hit him again and again, drawing blood.

"Squirtle use Withdraw!" Brian yelled in a panicked voice.

Squirtle quickly went in his shell.

"Alright Thorn, cook 'em!"

Thorn let out a torrent of close range flames. They heard Squirtle cry out in pain.

"No! Squirtle, try using bubble from your shell!"

But Squirtle cried out even louder. Concerned for Squirtle's health, Jet said, "Thorn, stop."

Thorn released the Ember and stepped back. Squirtle emerged from its shell, burned and bloody. Brian ran over to him. Squirtle tried to stand, but fell back down and let out a cry of pain.

"Squirtle, no!"

Oak said, "Squirtle is unable to battle, Charmander is the winner."

Charmander let out a growl of triumph. Oak handed Brian an empty Pokeball. "Here," said Oak, "Put him in this until we can get him to the medical wing."

Brian nodded, looking distraught. He dropped the pokeball on Squirtle, who was sucked in side and was immediately caught.

Brian then reduced the ball and said, "You did great, buddy."

He then looked at Jet, "I guess I owe you some money, huh?"

Jet nodded. Amy piped up, "I'm next, same prize money as before."

Jet looked up, then he looked at Thorn. "You up for another round, buddy?"

Thorn nodded and then growled, ready to fight.

Brian stood back and Oak said, "Same as before, both trainers ready?"

Jet and Amy both said yes. Oak held up his hand and dropped it down saying, "Begin."

Amy immediately yelled, "Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!"

Jet said, "Dodge Roll!"

Thorn dodged the Bulbasaur's attack, and Bulbasaur ran in for a tackle.

"Thorn, use Scratch!"

Thorn side stepped the tackle, and scratched Bulbasaur along its side. Bulbasaur didn't relent, however, and bit Thorn's tail. Thorn kept scratching Bulbasaur to get it to let go, but like a pit-bull it held on and bit harder, drawing blood.

"Use Ember!"

Thorn covered Bulbasaur in red-hot flames. Bulbasaur let out a cry and finally let go of Thorn's tail.

Both Amy and Jet shouted at the same time, Amy yelling, "Use Leech Seed, Bulbasaur!" and Jet shouted, "Ember!"

Thorn was faster. He shot a powerful Ember that knocked Bulbasaur off its feet. Bulbasaur fainted, and Thorn was declared the winner.

Amy was given a pokeball to hold Bulbasaur like Brian. Jet pulled a potion out his bag. "Let me see your tail."

Thorn nodded and turned around. His tail had deep bite marks. It bled a little bit, but other than that, Thorn seemed unhurt. Jet sprayed Thorns tail with the potion and said, "You were amazing. Both of those Pokémon were at the same power and had the same training you did, but you took them both down. I'm proud of you!"

Thorn nudged Jet with his head affectionately. Jet pulled out his Ultra ball and said, "You earned a nice long rest. Return!" Thorn went back in his pokeball and Jet shrunk it. "Wow that's so fucking cool!"

Professor Oak looked at the three new trainers and said, "You all performed admirably. I'm sure, Brian and Amy, that you will both perform better when you get to know your Pokémon as Jethro has come to know Charmander."

"Now, have you given any thought on what you're going to do now that you have your first Pokémon?"

Brian nodded, "I'm going to train my Squirtle and toughen him up. I don't want to see him hurt like this again."

"Very wise," Oak said. He turned to his granddaughter, "What about you Amelia?"

Amy smiled, "You know I always wanted to travel, Grandpa. Now that I have my own Pokémon, I think I'm going to head to Cinnabar Island. I could use a vacation."

Oak laughed, "Yes, I'm sure." He turned to Jet.

"Well, I was thinking I'd like to go up north to Viridian City. They have a gym there, I figure I'll train my Pokémon there and maybe try out for a Pokémon badge."

Brian laughed, "All the times you told me that was kid stuff? Viridian sounds good. And that's right next to the regionals too! I'll head out with you, like we used to talk about when we were little. What do you think?"

Jet smiled, "Yeah, it'll be great to have some company."

Professor Oak smiled and said, "Well then the three of you are probably going to want these."

He pulled the cover off a cart he was standing by. On the cover was three cases. Each case had five empty pokeballs inside, as well as a pokedex, (a high tech Pokémon encyclopedia.)

Oak looked at their shocked faces and said, "The pokedex is a very high tech device given to only a few trainers. Not only does it catalog data on Pokémon you've seen, but it can also register Pokémon to their owner. Amy. May I see your pokeball?"

Amy handed over her pokeball. "All three pokedexes are already registered to your trainer ID's. This one is registered to Amy."

Oak showed them how to scan a pokeball and register a Pokémon under their name. He also showed them how to check the Pokémon's data, stats, and attacks.

"And you know how you were registered for the Pokémon storage system when you got your class A? Well with this device you access the storage system while on the field! It collects more information on a Pokémon if you capture it. A lot of our field research comes from trainers who have a pokedex. Take these with you on your travels, as well as these pokeballs. They will help you build your first team."

Oak showed them how to input data on captured Pokémon, including any custom moves they might learn. He then sent them on their way. The three trainers headed down to the medical wing to heal their Pokémon and discuss their plans for leaving.

After that they went to the shopping center. The Pokémon research center, like any other Pokémon center, had a shop designated for trainers to get supplies. They stopped by the ATM first, where Amy and Brian paid Jet his prize money. They then went shopping for supplies.

Jet bought a back pack big enough for the amount of supplies he was getting. The then bought a camping set, a cooking set, and other various outdoor supplies that could be stored in capsules, **(AN: yeah, just like in Dragon Ball Z)**.

He also bought a capsulated wardrobe to put his clothes in. He bought a variety of medicines and snacks for the Pokémon. When all of that was said and done he bought ten more pokeballs, (as well as a free premier ball), and clips to put his Pokémon on his belt.

After Jet was finished shopping, he had all of about forty two hundred dollars left to start his journey. Jet's bag was pretty heavy, but he was sure he could fit more stuff in there if the need ever arose.

Jet and Brian left the research center for the bus stop, (Amy went to talk to her grandpa).

"So," said Brian, "When do you want to leave?"

Jet shrugged, "I don't know, I'll call you and let you know after I tell my parents."

**Author's Notes:**

**So we're finally about to hit the road. What kind of Pokémon will Jet and Brian meet on their journey? What kind of challenges will they face? Stay tuned to find out!**

**Please Review; I enjoy criticism as well as praise. And it would be nice to know someone is actually reading what I write. Thanks to those few who gave reviews already!**


	7. Rough Start

Rough Start

"Wow, a lot of people showed up for our going away party."

And so they had. The party was being held at Brian's house. A great deal many people from the lab had showed up to say their goodbyes. Amy and the Professor were among them; along with others from the job that Jet only recognized by sight.

Amy, apparently, decided not to leave for Cinnabar until next summer. She said she would train Bulbasaur against the local Pokémon to make it strong enough to defend itself when they set out.

"I mean," Amy began, "It's not even nice over there this time of year. Besides, I didn't save up as much money as you or Brian. I'd go broke in about two weeks."

Jet's mom had been the most upset about him leaving. She went on her own trip when she was twenty, though, so she understood the appeal. "Call me every day to let me know how you're doing, understand? If you don't, I'll get in the jeep and go find you myself."

Mr. Brown wasn't upset at all. In fact, he seemed positive that Jet would be back home in a couple of weeks. "Yeah, I did the same thing at your age. Took me four days to get to Viridian, and I didn't catch not one Pokémon! Then, when I finally went to the gym, I lost all my money to the Pokémon trainers there! It's just not the best career choice in my opinion."

Jet smiled and clapped his old man on the shoulder, "Thanks for the support, Pops."

"Anytime!" said Jet's dad before taking another sip Heineken.

The twins came over to Jet later that day and asked if he would catch them their own Pokémon. Jet laughed, "When you get a job and can support them, no problem!"

Jet was having a very good day, and then Brian came up and grinned at Jet. "You ok buddy? You're grinning like you're on something illegal."

Brian whispered in Jet's ear, "I just got finish making out with Crissy, from accounting! She let me get to second base!"

Jet laughed, "I thought you had the hots for Amy? She's single now you know."

Brian popped open a can of Pepsi and said, "All in good time, my dear boy! All in good time."

Jet rolled his eyes. Brian was as happy as could be for the rest of the night. Jet however, started to realize how much he was going to miss his little corner of the world when he goes away.

**XXX**

Jet was leaning on the waist high wooden fence that surrounded Brian's back yard. To his left, Thorn was sitting on the fence eating a barbeque pork rib with a great deal of enthusiasm. Together, the two of them watched the sunset.

Amy walked over to them and handed Jet a bottle of Blue Moon. "Have a drink with me before you go."

Jet smiled and twisted the cap off. They clinked their bottles together in a toast and commenced to watch the sunset. After a few minutes of silence, Jet said, "I'm going to miss this."

Amy took a sip of her beer, "There will be sunsets no matter where you go."

Jet shook his head, "Nah, I mean all of this," he gestured to the party behind him, "I mean you, us."

Amy put her bottle down and looked Jet in the eye, "I'm going to miss you too." She moved closer to Jet, "I'm going to miss you a lot."

Amy was close enough that Jet could smell the light scent of her perfume, which he found to be as intoxicating as the tequila that was now being served in generous quantities to his mother.

Jet smiled and asked, "Can I ask you a question? Exactly what is going on between you and Brian?"

Amy giggled, "What? Curiosity or personal interest?"

Jet scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, "A little bit of both."

Amy leaned forward and kissed Jet lightly on the lips. It was brief, and the kiss ended just as fast as it began. Amy pulled away quickly and blushed.

Jet blushed as well, "Wow. That was just… kind of…"

Amy smiled, "Yeah, I know." She looked down and took another sip. She then looked back up and placed her hand on his cheek and said, "Just remember; where ever you go, I'll be watching the same sunset."

She then gave him a hug and walked away. Thorn, who was chewing on his bone through the proceedings, watched Amy leave. He then looked up at Jet and let out a kind of purr.

"Yeah," Jet said, rubbing Thorn's head, "I like her too."

**XXX**

Brian and Jet were walking down the dirt path of Route 1, headed toward Viridian City. They had left extra early in the hopes that the goodbyes would be short. They rode the bus down to the edge of town, where they decided it best to head to Viridian on foot in order to find some Pokémon. They had been walking down the same road for almost an hour and saw absolutely nothing but a wild Spearow flying past overhead.

Jet sighed, "Maybe we should get off the main road? I mean, if you were a wild Pokémon, wouldn't you live over there in all those trees?"

Jet pointed to the wood line to their left. Brian nodded and said, "Good point. Besides, no one ever got anywhere without taking a few risks."

And so, the two boys headed toward the woods, in hope of finding some Pokémon to build a team. It was common knowledge that most of the Pokémon from Pallet Town to Viridian city were pretty weak. Partially because trainers hardly ever took this road, so the Pokémon didn't have to fight a whole lot. Mostly it was because the Pokémon that did evolve migrated elsewhere.

"I heard that there is a small population of Mankey somewhere around here," Brian said, "Maybe we can catch a few of those."

"Where did you hear that?" Jet asked.

"Online. There is a website that keeps track of Pokémon sightings in any given area, it's called-"

"Poké-Tracker? Why didn't I think of that?"

They found themselves going down a steep hill. At the bottom of the hill, there was a little stream. Jet was about to cross the stream on a log when Brian grabbed his arm to stop him. He pointed at the other side of the stream where a Sandshrew was getting a drink of water.

"Finders, keepers!" said Brian with a huge grin on his face. Jet nodded and began to climb a nearby tree to get a good view as Brian attempted to make his first catch.

Brian approached the Pokémon cautiously, but stepped on a twig. Sandshrew heard the snap and looked up, tense, at the new intruder. Brian then sent out Squirtle and said, "Use Bubble attack!"

Squirtle used Bubble but was too slow for Sandshrew who dug underground. Brian sighed, "Well, I guess-"

Then, suddenly, the ground beneath Squirtle burst forth as Sandshrew emerged. Squirtle was knocked in the air. Midflight, Squirtle reposition itself and dropped its tail down on Sandshrew with a pound attack; it was a critical hit.

Brian laughed, "Excellent, I didn't know you could do that! Hit him again with Bubble!" This time, the attack landed. Sandshrew cried out in pain as Brian said, "Finish him off with Tackle!"

Squirtle tackled Sandshrew into a tree. He then jumped out the way as Brian threw a Great Ball at it. The capsule rocked from left to right seven times before Brian heard a metallic, _click_, meaning that the Sandshrew was captured.

Below Jet, Brian whooped and celebrated his first capture. Jet smiled and said, "First try, not half bad." Then, he heard a _coo, coo_ come from next to him. He turned to see what the noise was, and saw a Pidgey perched on the branch next to him.

The Pidgey gave another, _coo,_ and then it flew right at Jet, as if to tackle him. Jet yelled and tried to move out the way, but as he was twenty feet in the air, this was no easy task.

Jet was about to fall off the branch when he grabbed on to Pidgey's leg for support. Jet was lifted of the branch as Pidgey tried to fly away. He yelled as he looked down and saw the drop below him, and reached up to grab Pidgey's other leg with his left hand.

Below Jet, he could hear Brian yell his name in panic. But if Brian was afraid, it was nothing compared to how scared Jet was. The Pidgey tried to get Jet to let go by knocking him into nearby trees. Jet used his feet to push off the trunks of these trees, messing up Pidgey's flight trajectory as he did.

After about thirty seconds of pure panic, Jet's weight became too much for Pidgey to handle and they began to drop. They didn't drop fast, as Pidgey was flapping for dear life, but it still scared the living shit out of Jet as he watched the ground grow closer and closer.

Six feet from the ground, Jet let go of Pidgey and hit the earth. Pidgey, once free, flew up high. It turned around midflight and began to fly towards Jet in order to attack.

Behind Jet, Brian called Squirtle's name, as if readying it for an attack. Jet, however, told them to stay back and grabbed a heavy stick that was on the ground next to him.

With reflexes born of years of little league baseball, Jet cracked the stick over Pidgey's head as it tried to tackle him. Pidgey gave a loud chirp, and fell on the ground, taking the momentum from its tackle attack with it. Floored, the Pidgey rolled over and hooted weakly.

Jet dropped the broken stick he was holding and pulled a pokeball from his belt, enlarging it. Jet than pitched the Pokeball the same way he did to catch Thorn.

Pidgey was sucked into the pokeball, which began to rock back and forth furiously. Jet watched with anticipation and bated breath as it continued to rock around. After a few seconds, Jet heard a familiar metallic _click_, and the button on the pokeball turned blue.

Brian walked over and whistled, "Dude, did you just catch a Pokémon without battling it?"

Jet pointed at the broken stick on the ground, "What do you mean I didn't battle it?"

Brian smiled, "You got me there."

Jet picked up his pokeball and scanned it with the Pokédex. He registered the Pidgey under his name and checked its level, stats, and moves. It was only level four, but it had a decent speed and attack.

Its ability was Keen Eye, which meant that it would be extremely accurate. The only attacks it knew were tackle, scratch, and peck. Jet also saw that the Pidgey was a female.

"I'm going to name you, Sora."

Brian sniggered, "Like the Kingdom Hearts character?"

"Sora means sky, dick-weed," Jet retorted, "so shut up."

Brian laughed and said, "Well, we should head back to the main road."

"Wait, just like that? You don't want to catch more Pokémon or train the ones you already got?"

Brian looked confused, "How long were you planning on staying on route one? The Pokémon here aren't very strong. I figured we would just get some practice catching Pokémon and then head to the Viridian Gym to train them."

Jet scratched his head, "I'll tell you what, why don't you go ahead to the gym, and I'll meet you at the Viridian Pokémon center in a few days."

"Umm," Brian started, "Are you sure about that dude? I mean, I'm all for building a team and everything but I don't think you'll find anything special out here."

Jet shrugged, "Any Pokémon has the potential to be great, you just got to help them find that inner strength."

Brian laughed, "Well I agree, but you can't train six Pokémon at a time and beat a gym leader in less than a month. You remember how difficult it was raising Thorn and Squirtle?"

"That was different," Jet said, defensively, "I couldn't battle with them at the time. They'll grow ten times faster if I have them battle wild Pokémon."

Brian shook his head, "Do what you want, I'll be at the Gym getting some real training in. Hey, and when we meet up again, we can have another battle, see who's stronger."

Jet nodded, "Looking forward to it." They gave each other a half hand shake, half hug and said, "See you in a few days."

**XXX**

By the end of the day, Jet had not regretted his decision to stay behind. He no longer had only a Pidgey under his belt, but a Rattata and a Spearow as well.

The Rattata was also level four, but the Spearow was level five. That night, while camping out, Jet had healed his new Pokémon and informed them they would be going through some tough training over the next few days.

Tough training indeed, for Jet had gotten up early and had his Pokémon go through some strength building exorcises. Thorn and the Rattata ended up running suicides while picking up rocks and moving them from A to B.

While Jet timed them, he had Pidgey and Spearow spar after he showed them the proper way to dip a strike from an enemy. After about an hour of this they switched; Charmander and Rattata sparred while Pidgey and Spearow flew from A to B in a set amount of time. To help build strength and endurance, Jet would grab Pidgey's feet with one hand, and Spearow's with the other.

They had to ferry him back and forth for about an hour. He was dropped twice, but he made sure they kept him only five feet from the ground just in case of such an occurrence. After their workout, Jet washed all of the Pokémon in a stream and fed them berries for breakfast. They then took a two hour break in which the Pokémon sat in a half circle around Jet as he explained his battle strategies with them, drawing visuals in the dirt with a stick as he did so.

Afterwards, Jet recalled all his Pokémon into their balls except the one he wanted to battle with, and set out to find wild Pokémon to practice against. They battled all day, Jet rotating Pokémon regularly as the day progressed. None of his new Pokémon were particularly talented. Pidgey was a much better flyer than Spearow, and quickly grew to level five. She learned sand-attack, which Jet had designated an hour and a half out the day to practice.

His Spearow had a nasty habit of diving in for a physical attack, but missing and plummeting to the ground. Rattata had very little strength behind his tackle's, which caused him to lose as many battles as he won.

Thorn was Jet's ace in the hole. Whenever one of his other Pokémon were in danger of losing life or limb; (which, annoyingly, seemed to happen far too often), Thorn would come to their rescue. It was as if he could do no wrong; he knew exactly when to move, how to strike, and always seemed to understand exactly what Jet was trying to communicate. If it wasn't for Thorn, Jet was sure his little venture would fail.

The next day, Jet had the Pokémon work on their weak points. Jet had both Spearow and Pidgey hover up and down, carrying Jet's weight. The purpose of this exercise was to help the bird Pokémon with their ascending and descending. As he watched them practice their dives, he saw that his exercise had definitely worked for the better. Spearow, as well as Pidgey, had improved their dives dramatically. Jet made a note in his note book to do this exercise every day.

All of the Pokémon, with the exception of Thorn, had to practice dodging and dipping. Aside from sparring, Jet would pitch rocks at them and get them to move out the way in time. They made a little progress, but not as much as Jet would have hoped.

By the end of the third day, everyone was exhausted. Jet was running low on potions and his Pokémon were tired of battle after battle. Pidgey was now at level seven, and easily his best Pokémon besides Charmander. Rattata had grown to level five, but Spearow remained where he was. Jet was impressed, however, by how much they had all improved maneuver wise. He agreed with Brian, though, that it would be a lot easier to just lighten his load when he got to Viridian.

Deciding it was time to hit the road, Jet was dismayed when he realized he had absolutely no clue where the road was. He headed east, guided by the sunset, in hope that a trail would appear eventually.

It was night time and there was hardly any visibility. Jet was sure he must have strayed, because he had not found a road, sign, or trail for all the hours he had been walking.

Jet heard some water splash nearby. He walked toward the water, thinking it might be a good spot to rest for the night with his Pokémon. He would simply head out the next morning. Jet figured he'll probably send Sora ahead to find a road.

Jet arrived at a pond. He couldn't see very well, because of the darkness, but he could make out a pale, white figure moving around in the pond. _Was this a Pokémon? _Jet thought to himself. If it was, it must've been a rare one. When Jet moved closer to get a better look, he realized that he was not staring at a Pokémon at all, but the back of a naked woman with a tattoo along the left side of her body.

Jet looked away and felt his cheeks turn hot. He decided it would be best to sneak way in order to preserve the woman's modesty. As he slowly walked away, he accidently stepped on a stick, which broke and echoed through the woods.

Jet heard a swish of water as the girl behind him turned around, and he stopped dead.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

Without turning around, Jet said, "I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't see anything, I just thought you were a Pokémon."

The girl screamed back, "DO I LOOK LIKE A FUCKING-"

Jet yelled back, "My bad, it was dark! I only saw your back I swear!"

The girl did a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, sure you didn't, you fucking perv!"

Jet felt bad for her, but didn't feel like arguing, "I'm just going to go now."

The girl behind him said, "I think that's a good idea."

Jet walked away and found a spot ten minutes later that looked like a good place to call it a night. Completely exhausted from the day's events, Jet laid back on a soft pad of earth next to a tree. Without bothering to set his tent, Jet used his back pack as a pillow. He leaned back and closed his eyes; his last thoughts were of the naked girl in the water.

**XXX**

"Hey, pervert!"

Jet awoke immediately. It was dawn, and Jet could now clearly make out the figure in front of him. At first glance, he would say that Laura Croft was glaring at him. The girl was a brunette, with her hair tied in a ponytail. She had big, grey eyes, full, red lips, and she had a beauty mark on her left cheek. She wore a brown t shirt, Daisy Dukes, and hiking boots. At her side was a growling Eevee.

Jet sat up against the tree trunk, "I'm guessing you're the one-"

"That you were spying on? Yeah, that'd be me."

Jet sighed and said, "Look, it was an accident, and I only saw your back. I'm sorry; I don't know how many ways I can say it."

The girl glared at Jet for a few seconds and then said, "Tackle."

Before this registered to Jet, the girl's Eevee tackled Jet harder than he had ever been hit in his life. He felt his shoulder pop.

"Ahh, what the fuck!"

Jet gritted his teeth and grabbed his right shoulder with his left arm. He braced himself and shifted his shoulder until he felt it pop back into place. He let out a cry of pain and said, "You fucking psycho, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!"

Jet's eyes began to water and the girl said, "Yeah, well so is this."

Eevee bounded forward to attack. Jet got to his feet and jumped up and grabbed one of the branches of the tree he was leaning against. With tremendous effort, he climbed the tree just high enough so that he was out of range of the girl's Eevee.

The psycho bitch laughed, and then reached down and picked up Jets back pack. She called up the tree, "Bye, bye now!"

And she started walking away with his stuff, Eevee heeling at her side. Jet jumped back down from the tree and pulled a pokeball from his belt, "Hold it!"

The girl turned around; her Eevee began growling again. Jet knew his Pokémon were exhausted, but he hoped they had rested enough to take out this bitch's Eevee. Enlarging the pokeball, Jet threw it and said, "Go Remi!"

Rattata popped out of the pokeball and hissed at his new opponent. Jet said "Use tackle attack!"

Remi charged the Eevee, who easily side stepped the attack.

"Oh please," the girl said shaking her head, "Eevee, use Dig!"

The Eevee dug underground. Jet told Remi, "Move around! Don't let him hit you!" Remi nodded and began to prance around so as to avoid the attack.

"Funny how you people always think that will work." Whoever this girl was, she seemed to be really enjoying herself.

Eevee popped out of the ground and hit Remi mid bound. It was an instant KO. Jet recalled Remi. The mystery girl laughed and said, "Not exactly the best trainer, are you?" which really made Jet mad.

He was about to send out Thorn when he remembered that Thorn had been working harder than any of his other Pokémon the last few days, and was surely exhausted. That, coupled with the fact that Eevee's dig was not only powerful, but type effective against Thorn stayed Jet's hand.

He put Remi's pokeball away and said, "Please, you got your hit in, don't take my stuff."

Jet was not the type to beg or plea, but his Pokémon's safety meant more to him than his bag or his pride. The girl considered Jet for a moment.

"I'm sure we can work something out. Right Eevee?"

Eevee gave a kind of barking laugh before the girl continued, "You've seen me naked right?" She looked at Jet from head to toe and smiled, "Take your clothes off."

Jet didn't move, "You can't be serious."

The girl grinned, "Oh, I'm deadly serious." Eevee laughed again.

Jet could think of no other way to get his bag, so he began to strip. He blushed and began to feel very self-conscious about the way his body looked naked. After all, no one besides his doctor and his parents had ever seen him nude before.

The girl had a devious little smile on her face as she crossed her arms and pointed to Jet's underwear, "All of it."

Jet shook his head, "I only saw your back."

The girl raised her eyebrows, "I guess you don't want you stuff then."

Jet grumbled as he dropped his boxers, blushing and avoiding eye contact as he did so.

The girl smiled again, "Not bad. Not the _best_ I've ever seen, but not bad."

Jet covered his privates with his hands, "Yeah, whatever, can I get my bag now?"

The girl dropped his bag on the ground and said, "Fine. C'mon, Eevee."

The turned around and began to walk away. Jet pulled his boxers back up and called out, "By the way, I lied about only seeing your back. I saw half of your ass too and I got to say, I've always been a big fan of back dimples."

Jet didn't know what made him say it, (probably the humiliation she just put him through), but he regretted saying it immediately. The girl turned around, and smiled.

"You don't say?" the fake smile melted away as she said, "Eevee, Head-butt!"

Eevee jumped at Jet. The last think Jet remembered before the blackness was thinking, _Just learn to keep your fucking mouth shut!_


	8. Natalie

Natalie

When Jet opened his eyes he noticed two things. First, that all of his things, (including his clothes), were gone. Second, that he smelled as if a Pokémon, (most likely an Eevee), had urinated on him while he was passed out.

He got up from the ground and felt his head throb. He groaned when he saw that even his boxers and his socks were missing. He looked into the sky and saw that the sun was directly in the middle of the sky. _I must've been out for about six hours._

His head gave another painful throb. Deciding the best thing he could do would be to head to the Viridian and call the cops, Jet began to walk. Jet winced and groaned at every twig, thorn, and rock he stepped on. He found that his body was pain from the last three days of training. That, coupled with his throbbing head and his sore shoulder, made it extremely difficult to keep going.

Ten minutes later, Jet found himself at the pond where he had found his new arch enemy bathing. "God damn it!" he said to himself in an undertone. He went in the exact opposite direction of where he wanted to go. Then he figured, _Well, since I'm here, might as well wash the smell of poke-piss off me._

Jet got into the cold water and swam around for a bit. He didn't have a rag, so he tried to wipe himself off with his hands. As he shivered from the cool air getting out, Jet found that he was very glad that his father didn't know just how much worst he was doing on his journey.

Jet walked in the direction that he remembered was east, and hoped he would find the road soon. By the time he did, he had already been scratched by dozens of branches and was chased by a very unsavory Raticate. Figuring since he traveled east to get to the road, Viridian should be to his left. Though how many miles, Jet was completely unsure.

Jet walked, naked, for about an hour along the side of the dirt road before a pickup truck going the same direction he was pulled over.

"What in the hell happened to you, boy?" asked the middle aged man driving the vehicle.

"Long story short," said Jet, covering his privates with his hands, "I was robbed."

The man in the truck got out and said, "That's a damn shame, you headed towards Viridian?"

Jet nodded and said, "I would appreciate a ride, I can sit in the back of your truck."

The man laughed and said, "Yeah, I can give you a ride. Got a burlap sack in the back that you can use to cover up."

And so the nice man cut the bottom of the sack so Jet could where it around his waist, and gave him a ride into Viridian. Jet figured he would just go to the Pokémon center and call the cops there. He would also call Brian and get him to bring Jet some clothes. Jet hoped the cops would be able to find his stuff soon, because all of his Pokémon were on his belt when it was taken.

Jet was sure that if the girl tried to summon Thorn than he would probably escape and come find Jet. He shuddered when he realized that she was probably going to sell his Pokémon instead of keeping them. _How the hell did I get into this mess?_

"There you are, the Viridian Pokémon Center," said the good Samaritan who helped Jet in his time of need.

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much I appreciate this!"

The man laughed, "Not a problem at all."

Jet left the truck, gripping the sack he was wearing as he did so to prevent it from falling down, and entered the Pokémon center. The receptionist at the lobby looked up and said, "What the hell? You can't come in here looking like that!"

Jet walked up to the desk and said, "I'm sorry miss, I was robbed."

The woman changed her attitude immediately, "Oh you poor baby, do you want me to call the police?"

Jet smiled and said, "Umm, in a minute. I'd like to get a room first, if that's ok. I'm a registered trainer, my ID number is AD781227."

It seemed to take a minute for Jet's request to register with the lady at the front desk. When it did, she said, "Uhh, I'm not sure if I can give you a room. We have a shirt and shoes policy here."

_Is she fucking kidding me right now? _Jet asked, almost pleadingly, "Will it really matter if I'm naked if I'm in my room? Would you rather I wait for the cops outside?"

The lady said, "I'm sorry," she genuinely looked it, "I can get a manager if you'd like." Jet nodded.

While the receptionist paged a manager, people started to gather around in the lobby to stare at Jet, who was looking very self-conscious about himself at the moment.

The manager walked in the lobby and said, "Leave now or I'm calling security."

Jet was about to argue back, but the receptionist beat him to it, "He was just robbed, Bill! He wanted to know if he could get a room while he waited for the cops. He's a registered trainer."

The manager, Bill, apologized, "I'm so sorry sir! Yes, we can get you a room. We'll call the police right away!"

Jet nodded and asked, "By the way, you haven't seen a cute brunette about this high," he put his hand just below his eyes, "dressed like the tomb raider with resident evil eyes and a demonic Eevee have you?"

Behind him he heard a voice that said, "You called?"

Jet spun around immediately and saw the mystery girl he was looking for holding out his bag, "All your stuff is in there. Including the clothes you were wearing and your Pokémon," she than scrunched up her nose and asked, "Why do you smell like animal piss?"

Jet snatched his bag and said, "You should know! You're Eevee did it!"

The girl just laughed, "No he didn't! That's a good idea though; I have to remember that one."

Jet glared at the girl who smiled at him, looking amused at his attire and his embarrassment. Next to him, the receptionist asked, "So… do you still want me to call the police?"

Jet turned to her and said, "No, I don't think that's necessary. But I would like a room to shower in and get changed, please."

Jet turned to talk to the girl that stole his things, but she was already walking away. Deciding it would be better if he didn't call after her and start an argument with so many spectators, he begrudgedly turned back to the receptionist as she made arrangements for him to stay at the center.

Before Jet went to his room to wash up, he had the manager take his Pokémon to the medical center to get healed. As soon as he arrived in his room, Jet went to the bathroom to wash up. If there was one good thing to be said about this experience, it was that taking a hot shower had never felt so amazing. Jet enjoyed it so much, in fact, that he stayed in there an extra twenty minutes after he washed up.

Jet had his hand against the wall and his head bowed as the hot, running water washed all of his troubles away. He suddenly heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was probably the manager checking if he settled in, Jet put on a towel and went to answer the door. When he opened it up, the mystery girl stood in the threshold.

"Well aren't you going to invite me in?"

She budged past him, thrusting a paper bag into his arms as she did, and opened the blinds on his window to reveal the sunset.

"Haven't you tortured me enough for one day?" Jet asked, vehemently. The girl simply looked back and smiled. Jet realized he was only wearing a towel and dropped the paper bag he was holding on the bed. He picked up a clean pair of boxers that he had previously laid out, and headed into the bathroom to put them on.

The girl said, "Oh please, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

Jet ignored her and walked back into the room to continue getting dressed. While he was pulling on his t shirt, he asked, "Why are you here?"

The girl smiled again, "To call a truce."

Jet picked up the bag and opened it. There was a delicious smelling food inside wrapped in tin foil. The girl sat on the bed and said, "They are from this amazing taco stand about a block from here. I'm Natalie by the way."

Jet took one of the Taco's out the bag and glared up at Natalie, "This morning you hated my guts and now you're buying me food?"

Natalie grabbed the bag, "Buying _us_ food. There are six tacos in there."

Jet unwrapped the taco and bit into it. It was juicy and spicy, with little grilled pieces of steak and some sauce Jet couldn't identify. Natalie was also eating one of the tacos, which she pointed at and said, "Good shit, right?"

Jet didn't want to admit it, but it was one of the best tacos he ever had in his life. He walked over to a chair beside the bed and watched Natalie devour the taco before her. She paid no attention to any sort of lady-like etiquette. She dropped the filling regularly, and sucked on her fingers when the taco was done. After Jet was finished with his first taco, Natalie was already halfway through her third. The way she ate was sloppy and all over the place; it was also probably one of the sexiest things Jet had ever seen.

When she was finished her third she grabbed another one. Jet protested, "I thought we were splitting them?"

Natalie sucked the juice off her forefinger, "We are, what are you talking about?"

"You have more than me!"

Natalie giggled, "You shouldn't eat so slow then."

Jet was annoyed, but at the same time he found his liking for this girl increase. He asked, "Why did you take my clothes? How did you find me?"

Natalie shrugged, "You pissed me off last night when you saw me naked. And I don't forgive, I get even."

Jet shook his head, "No, I'm pretty sure I got the shitty end of the stick."

Natalie raised one of her eyebrows, "You shouldn't have been spying on me last night."

"It was an accident!"

She shrugged, "Either way, I feel a lot better now that I got one up on you, so it's better this way. I'm not going to apologize for what I did, so don't expect it."

Jet wiped his hands on a napkin, "Fine, whatever. You still didn't answer my second question."

Natalie gave a devious little smile, "I figured you'd probably head to Viridian Pokémon center, so I was just going to leave your stuff here until you found it."

Jet frowned, "What if I wasn't headed here?"

Natalie rolled her eyes, "You got your stuff right? Then stop bitching!"

Jet couldn't figure out for the life of him how this girl could be so annoying and yet so sexy at the same. Natalie rolled up her trash and threw it in the bag before saying, "Look, we both did some things we're not proud of last night. I'm not mad at you anymore, you got your stuff, let's just start over, ok?"

She put out her hand for Jet to shake and said, "My name is Natalie."

Jet shook her hand and said, "Jet."

She giggled and said, "No, seriously. Jet?"

"It's short for Jethro." Jet said feeling a little annoyed again.

Natalie smiled, "Well Jethro, pleased to meet you. By the way, what were you doing in the woods that time of night?"

Jet shrugged, "I was training my Pokémon and got lost. You?"

Natalie sighed and fell back on the bed, "Sort of the same thing. I take my Eevee around there to battle wild Pokémon every few weeks. Keeps him happy." She yawned, "I'm so tired. I got like no sleep last night."

Jet leaned back in his sit, "Yeah, well, me neither." He then stood up and lay in the bed next to her.

She turned her body so she was facing him, "So Jethro, where are you from?"

Jet yawned and said, "Pallet Town. I use to work at the Pokémon Research Center there."

Natalie raised her eyebrows, "Wow, what's a lab geek like you doing out in the big bad world?"

Jet laughed, "Umm, I was raising these Pokémon who just hatched from these eggs. After they were strong enough to defend themselves, I was allowed to have one. So I just kind of…"

"Went on a thrilling adventure?" Natalie giggled.

Jet looked at her and smiled, "Can't say that it hasn't been eventful." He yawned again and asked, "What's your story?"

Natalie repositioned herself so she was using Jet as a pillow. "Not really much to tell. Grew up here in Viridian. Dad was a real outdoorsy type guy. Use to take me hiking or fishing with him all the time. A year ago he gave me Eevee for my sweet sixteen. Every now and then I take Eevee out for the weekend for training."

"So," said Jet, "You in school or what?"

"Nope," said Natalie, now talking with her eyes closed, "I graduated three months ago. I use to work at this restaurant as a server, but I got fired for being caught spitting on the customers food."

Jet smiled, "Don't get mad, get even huh?"

Natalie giggled, "Exactly."

Jet and Natalie talked and laughed for about an hour. Jet had never met anyone like her. Not only was she drop dead gorgeous, but it took absolutely no effort to talk to her. She was smart, funny, sarcastic, and seemed to genuinely like Jet.

She preferred to call him Jethro, and made fun of him for being what she called, a "lab rat". After talking for a while, Natalie just fell asleep. Jet, who was also tired and very sore, followed suit not long afterward.

When Jet finally woke up, it was 8:45 pm. Natalie was gone, and Jet was more sore than ever. Jet got up from his bed, and decided to check up on his Pokémon.

Jet got his Pokémon from the medical wing of the Pokémon center. He was told by the nurse that it usually took an hour for them to fully heal his Pokémon, so he wouldn't leave them there in the future.

Jet accessed the storage system and deposited his Rattata and his Spearow. Jet figured Brian was probably right. It was hard training all those Pokémon in such a short period of time. Jet called his parents to check in. He tried calling Brian afterwards, but didn't get an answer. He went to the shopping center to buy more pokeballs and restock his medicines.

When Jet arrived back in his room he stripped to his boxers and a T shirt and laid back down to go to sleep. He had decided that he was going head to the Gym tomorrow and see if he could fine Brian there.

Thinking back to the time he had spent with Natalie today, Jet grinned into his pillow. He had absolutely no idea how someone could hate him one moment, and then chill with him for hours the next like there was never hostility between them. What he _did_ know was that those few hours he spent with Natalie were well worth his concussion.


	9. Taking a Beating

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you for the reviews I got so far. As long as at least one person likes this story and I still find it interesting, I'll keep going. I'm not exactly sure how often I'll be updating, but it shouldn't take me more than a week. Anyways, here is chapter nine…**

Taking a Beating

"What do you mean the Gym is closed?"

Jet was standing in front of what used to be the Viridian City Pokémon Gym. The man he was talking to was a contractor who was apparently clearing out the Gym to be sold at auction.

"Yeah well, the old Gym Leader who used to run this place went into retirement. Shut down the Gym just last week. A lot of local trainers like yourself are really upset about it."

Jet sighed; _There goes the whole purpose of me heading to Viridian in the first place._ The contractor continued, "If you wanna train your Pokémon why not head over to the Trainer's school? Or you could fight wild Pokémon round Indigo Road, like a lot of other trainers do."

Indigo Road, that was just off of Route 22. If you followed that road out, you would end up at the gates of the Kanto/Johto Pokémon League. The Regionals were still going on as far as Jet knew, so why not go catch a bit of them? Knowing Brian, that's probably where he went.

Jet thanked the man at the Gym and decided to find a bus to take him to Indigo road. His Pidgey and his Charmander were both healed, so they would be good to battle any wild Pokémon he may see along the way. At the very least, Jet wanted to get Sora's level up to about level ten. Thorn was actually pushing thirteen; and he was only a few months old!

It took him about two hours to finally get to Indigo Road. On either side of the road were woods similar to those found on Route 1. Jet decided that this time, he would still follow the road from the wood line. He didn't want to get lost again, and he was on a bit of a time crunch.

And so he set off, with thoughts of finally seeing the regionals live. Jet and Brian had always talked about going together one day. Pokémon battles at the League level were insane. Most of the trainers there used 4-5 star Pokémon, and all with powerful attacks. Often the field the Pokémon were fighting on would end up destroyed. It was also not that uncommon to see a Pokémon die at those battles, (and sometimes even a human!).

Throughout the years, many government factions have tried to make Pokémon battles illegal, along with Pokémon training. However, they were closer to ending the war on drugs than they were from stopping Pokémon battles.

Back in ancient times, before humans started training Pokémon, humans almost went extinct. They would hunt Pokémon to survive, but Pokémon were a lot more intelligent and powerful than common animals like buffalo and dear. Pokémon would fight back, and often war with early civilizations. Even those that attempted to distance themselves from Pokémon because of their power were eventually hunted down and killed.

It was in each Pokémon's nature to battle in order to become more powerful. They didn't discriminate on exactly who they battled with either. They nearly killed off the human race before the humans discovered the bond between the two races. If a human was to catch a Pokémon, then it somehow created a bond between that human and that Pokémon. The Pokémon would defend the human to the death in order to protect them.

They would also obey the human's commands; as long as the human was found worthy. The human had to have the right leadership qualities to raise or train the Pokémon it captured. They had to provide for the Pokémon, make decisions on how the Pokémon should battle, and show the Pokémon love and compassion in order to maintain the bond.

When humans learned of this, they tried to catch Pokémon in order to domesticate them and use them for defense. It was difficult, but it became easier when the Pokémon they captured could fight for them and assist with the capture of other Pokémon.

It was thus that the first trainers were born. In modern times, most households had at least one Pokémon in the family. Some use them for pets, others just for battles. It is necessary, also, to have those who study Pokémon as a profession.

Through years of research, humans have invented the capsule like pokeballs that made catching Pokémon so easy even a child could do it. It is also through this research that medicines have been created to not only heal Pokémon, but humans as well.

Both humans and Pokémon had a lot to learn from each other, and they both use each other for support every day. And those who opposed the integration of Pokémon into modern society can do nothing to stop it, for it is the only way Pokémon can coexist.

There was a country in the fifties called Brinesa that once went to war with the Pokémon in their country. Years before this war, their government had forbidden Pokémon training. They called it barbaric and dangerous, and tried to segregate humans and Pokémon all together. With no Pokémon to defend them, the humans were attacked constantly. The Pokémon had no outlet for all of their aggression, and no means of population control without trainers.

Brinesa faced constant deaths on both sides because of this segregation. Rather than do what the rest of the world did and allow human/Pokémon relations, they decided that they would exterminate the Pokémon in their country instead.

The rest of the world warned them not to go through with it; and even threatened to go to war with them if they did. Brinesa, however, was determined that there was only one way to solve their problem, and extermination was the answer.

No one had a chance to go to war to disestablish Brinesa's foolish government; the Pokémon saw to that. No amount of weapons, no amount of soldiers, and no amount of vehicles protected Brinesa from the onslaught. They had banned pokeballs, so they couldn't even capture the Pokémon who destroyed their people.

Within a year, all of the citizens of Brines were either evacuated or dead. Today, the country is devoid of human habitation. The wild Pokémon there, however, are rumored to be very powerful. Only the strongest trainers travel to Brinesa; few of which ever return.

It is true that history show us our mistakes in order for us not to repeat them. Soon after the fall of Brinesa, international legislation was put into effect that protected every human's right to capture, raise, train, and battle Pokémon. It is essential for human survival, as well as Pokémon's wellbeing.

Pokémon had become so rooted in modern society, that a national study showed at least 25% of all people go on a journey to catch and train Pokémon at least once in their lives. Those who have domesticated Pokémon as pets, usually battle their Pokémon locally against wild Pokémon or other trainers to keep them happy.

When Jet and Brian were younger, they used to love to go to the local parks or beach to watch a Pokémon battle. They had been best friends ever since they saw their first battle together at the age of six. It was at a park, between two trainers passing through Pallet town. One had a Gengar; the other a Nidorino. It was rare to see such Pokémon in their little town of Pallet, which made the spectacle all the more memorable.

Jet and Brian cheered the Pokémon on, and soon became friends. They promised each other that day that one day they would face each other in the Pokémon league. Jet had changed his priorities throughout the years, but he had often imagined what life would be like if he worked to follow through with that promise. Now that he walked up Route 22 with his own Pokémon in tow, he thought to himself that maybe one day they may be able to actually make it to the Pokémon league, but not today. Today, they would once again be spectators.

Jet heard a rustle in the trees above. He looked up and saw a Mankey watching him from a branch. Just as Jet pulled out Sora's pokeball, the Mankey attacked. It dropped down on Jet and started smacking his head; hard. Jet yelled and threw the Mankey off, dropping the pokeball he was holding in the process.

He went to grab it but got tackled and flew back several feet. Jet got up and grunted, _I am so sick and fucking tired of being tackled!_ He tried to regain his composure, but found himself on the ground again as the Mankey struck him in the face. Jet had been punched before, but never so hard that it dazed him like this.

Before he found his senses, he found himself repeatedly punched and smacked all over his body, each blow just as painful as the first. There was a pause where the wild Mankey pounded his chest in triumph, and Jet used it to kick said Mankey in the stomach as hard as he could.

It worked for a couple of seconds, and that was all Jet needed. He rolled to his feet, grabbed Sora's pokeball and summoned her to his aid. Mankey recovered from Jet's attack and attempted another tackle, but found himself being struck by Sora's excellent tackle attack instead.

Mankey fell back, and Sora flew around for another tackle before he could recover. The attack landed home, and Jet said, "Finish him off with Peck, Sora!"

Sore landed on Mankey's head, and repeatedly pecked Mankey until he was unconscious. Jet found this ironic as it was exactly how he was attacked. He threw an empty pokeball at Mankey and caught him.

"Thank you, Sora," Jet said reaching down to pet her, "you really saved my life just now."

Jet bent down and picked up the pokeball. He was surprised at just how much this movement had hurt him. _At this rate, I'll be dead before I get my first badge!_

Jet stood up and looked at the pokeball, "I'm going to call you Pugsly." And with that, he shrunk the Pokeball and put it back on his belt. Jet set off to find the main road. He was way too sore to attempt anymore Pokémon battles, and silently wondered how trainers did this kind of stuff day after day.

Jet walked along the side of the paved road for a while, occasionally spitting the blood from his mouth or wincing every time his head gave a painful throb. Ahead of him, he could see what he guessed was another trainer headed in the opposite direction. Jet paid no mind to them until they called his name and ran up to him.

Brian had a worried look on his face as he stopped in front of Jet and said, "Holy shit, what happened to you?"

Jet frowned, "Is it really that bad?"

Brian reached in his pocket and grabbed his phone. He handed it to Jet and said, "Look at your reflection."

Jet did as he was asked and saw two black eyes, a fat lip, and multiple head lumps staring back at him. Jet laughed, "Damn, that wild Mankey really did a number on me."

Brian took his phone back and laughed as well, "Are you battling wild Pokémon by yourself again? You really need to stop that, Jet."

Jet pulled out Pugsly's pokeball, "I caught the little fucker."

Brian lead Jet off the road and said, "I got some potions on me; let me heal your face."

Jet shook his head, "Save your potions for your Pokémon, I'll be fine."

But Brian wouldn't hear it. The boys set up a tent, and once inside they got to work on healing Jet's wounds. Jet used his own potions, insisting that he had bought extra anyway. When Brian sprayed Jet with the potion, it stung at first. Then his wounds healed instantly.

They did this for his face and his torso, which had a number of nasty bruises. Brian pulled out a jar of Oran berries and gave one to Jet. It tasted like blueberries mixed with plum, all with a medicine like after taste.

When Jet was finished healing himself, he healed Pugsly. Pugsly was an impatient Pokémon, and sat still only when ordered to do so. He ate two Oran berries and was recalled to his pokeball.

Brian packed up his tent and told Jet about his adventure so far. "I went to the Gym and found out it was closed, so I headed straight for the regionals. When I got there, all of the tickets were sold out, and they wouldn't let me go to Victory Road without any badges.

"So I stayed at the Pokémon Center at the gate, and went out every so often to catch wild Pokémon. I got six so far," Jet nodded and felt annoyed that he only had five, "but I only really focus on Squirtle and Sandshrew for my training. I just caught a Spearow who seems pretty tough though, I might focus on him too. It would be nice to have a Fearow to fly around on, you know?"

Jet nodded and Brian continued on with his story, "There are all types of trainers at the Pokémon center out there! There were battles every night! I lost most of mine, though, because these trainers weren't exactly new like I am. But I got to see this cool double battle; I can't wait to try it out!"

Then Brian's face lit up, "Let's me and you have a double battle! Then I can see if you've gotten any stronger! I know I have! Winner gets two hundred, do you accept?"

Jet thought about it and said, "I see no reason why not."

Brian smiled and sent out his Sandshrew and his Spearow. Jet stepped back a good distance so they would have room for their battle, and then sent out Sora and Pugsly. Jet then called, "Ok guys! We're going to fight man to man! Sora, you stay on Spearow's ass. Pugsly, you take Sandshrew, make sure you avoid his dig attack! You ready, Brian?"

Brian nodded and said, "I'll start the match. One, two, three; Spearow, use Tackle! Sandshrew, use Rollout!"

Double battles were a lot harder than they had seemed on the simulator. Jet simply couldn't keep track on what every Pokémon was doing at the exact same time. Often times, one side of the battle got neglected. Sora was a much better flyer than Brian's Spearow, so Jet tried to focus more on Pugsly, who was getting his ass handed to him.

"Pugsly, jump when he comes at you like tha- oh shit."

Sandshrew's Rollout had hit yet again. Pugsly was knocked several feet away, and was almost out for the count. Pugsly's problem was that he had no sense of defense. He simply went into the attack, guns blazing, and without any sense of self preservation.

"Pugsly, grab one of the branches above you!"

Pugsly jumped up just in time to grab a branch. Jet told him, "Keep on the move in the branches! Don't directly attack until I tell you!" Jet turned to Sora, who was being chased by the higher level Spearow. He shouted, "Sora, use the Wronski Feint!"

Sora flew up high, followed closely by Spearow. Jet had been a big fan of Harry Potter. In the fourth book, during the Quidditch World Cup, one of the players did a move called the Wronski Feint. The idea was that if a flyer was being chased, then they would dive at a high speed and pull up just before they hit the ground. If the opponent fell for it and wasn't as good a flyer, then they would crash into the ground.

Jet remembered this maneuver when he was helping his bird Pokémon with their diving techniques. He taught this move to Sora, because he was just good enough a flyer to pull it off. Jet was glad he did, too. No sooner than when Sora pulled up did Spearow plummet into the ground.

"Spearow, are you alright?" Brian asked, but with no answer.

"Spearow, return!" Brian recalled his Pokémon. Now it was two against one. Pugsly, no doubt gaining heart from Sora's daring display of skill, decided to attack Sandshrew head on yet again.

"Pugsly, no!" But it was too late. Pugsly got hit with Rollout and was instantly KO'd. Sora then dove at Sandshrew. "Sora, wait stop!" But Jet knew what was going to happen before it happened. Sora was hit by Rollout as well. As the attack had already gained a ridiculous amount of momentum and it was also type effective against Sora, it was yet another instant KO.

Jet recalled both of his Pokémon, disappointed at his loss. Brian, however, was happy as could be when he recalled his Pokémon. They shook hands after the battle and Jet said, "Good fight, Brian, you really did a great job with that Sandshrew."

Brian smiled and said, "Thanks, I took a leaf out of your book. I got him a binding brace like you use to use with Thorn. His attack and his speed are ridiculously high now!"

Jet wrote Brian a check for two hundred dollars. All traveling trainers were required to carry check books to pay off their losses in the field. If someone didn't pay, they would get their license suspended and lose all of their Pokémon.

Brian said, "Head back to Viridian with me. There is really nothing for you back there, and Viridian is closer anyway. Besides, we have to visit the trainer's school."

Jet nodded and together they headed back in the direction of Viridian. It was becoming obvious to Jet that he had fallen of his game ever since he left Pallet Town. True, he didn't have the resources he once did to help with his training. True, he was working with wild Pokémon now that needed to be broken in before they could be domesticated. One thing is for sure, Jet was determined that the rest of his journey was not going to end up like it had his first week. He would learn from his mistakes and he would adapt. Jethro was determined to keep his promise he made all those years ago; he was going to the Pokémon League.


	10. School of Hardknocks

**Author's Notes:**

**I'd like to say thank you to all the people who put this story under their favorites and those who did comment. Good to know people are reading what you write.**

School of Hard Knocks

Jet and Brian received their healed Pokémon from the attendant at the Pokémon center. "Thanks," Brian said, "Oh by the way, Jet, we got to stop by the shopping center so I can cash my check. I've been running low on cash from my battles on Route 22."

Jet shrugged, "Yeah, sure. I got to get some repel anyway."

And so they headed to the east wing of the Pokémon center to the shopping center. When they reached the doors, a familiar face walked out carrying a bag of dried Pokémon food.

"Oh Jethro, is this your boyfriend?" Natalie said with a smirk. Brian looked confused so Jet introduced him.

"Brian this is Natalie; Natalie this is my best friend Brian."

Natalie's smirk grew bigger, "So you're Brian huh? You're cuter than I thought you'd be."

Brian blushed and Jet felt a twinge of jealousy that he didn't know how to explain. Brian said, "Yeah, umm… sorry but Jet never told me about _you_."

Natalie raised her eyebrows, "Really Jethro?" Natalie teased, "What, still embarrassed about what I did to you? That's fine; I'm quite fond of telling this story actually. Hold Eevee's food."

Natalie passed Jet the Pokémon food and they all entered the shopping center together. Natalie told Brian the whole story about how they met, Jet blushing all the while. Brian laughed, "Dude, how could you _not_ tell me this story! You ended up at the Pokémon center _naked?_ Seriously?"

Natalie put her arm around Jet, "You know, our boy here does look great in the nude. So no need to blush there."

"I'm not blushing!" Jet snapped. But even as he said it, he felt his cheeks grow hotter. Natalie giggled and Brian laughed. They did their shopping headed to the lobby.

"I got to go, but look me up on Facebook sometime, boys."

Jet grabbed Natalie's hand as she turned to walk away. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Yes, Jethro?"

Jet didn't know what prompted him to do this, but he just knew he wanted to see Natalie again before he left Viridian. "Come out with me tomorrow, we'll get some food or something."

Brian stood off to the side and snickered. Natalie, however, asked, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Jet shot Brian a dirty look when he snickered louder. "Yeah, I suppose I am."

Natalie said, "You suppose or you are?"

Jet's heart started pounding, did he overstep his boundaries? Deciding it was too late to back out, Jet said, "I am. Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"

Natalie looked serious for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Give me your phone."

Jet, feeling his face burning again, handed Natalie his phone. She played around with it for a few seconds and then handed it back to Jet. "I put my number in it. Call me tomorrow around 1:30, k?"

Jet smiled and said, "Yeah, I got you."

Natalie smiled again and said, "I was wondering if you'd work up the courage to ask me out. And in front of your best friend too? Props!"

She then turned, and walked away. Jet watched her ass as she switched it back and forth all the way to the door. She stopped before exiting, looked back at Jet and rolled her eyes, "Perv!" she said with a smile.

Brian giggled when she left, "Man oh man, I got to give you props too, dude. That girl has fine written all over her. I would do things to her that are illegal in certain parts of Unova."

Jet laughed and said, "Let's head to my room."

"No seriously," Brian said as they boarded the elevator, "I would drink her bathwater."

Jet couldn't remember ever laughing so hard in his life. He literally fell down and couldn't breathe. Brian said, "It wasn't really that funny." Jet pulled himself up and said, "Stop now, please." He was still laughing.

Brian asked, "How did she look naked?"

Jet shrugged, "I really only saw her back. And her ass was in the water. She's got dimples on her lower back though, and a tattoo on her ribs."

They got off the elevator and Brian said, "Damn that's a bad bitch! She can sit on my face any day! Ok, stopping now." Jet gave Brian a look before opening the door to his room.

"You can sleep on the floor, I got plenty of blankets."

Brian shrugged, "I'll just use my sleeping bag."

**XXX**

The Viridian City Trainer's School had its own little Pokémon Gym. There was no actual Gym leader or league badges there, but it had equipment used for strength training as well as an area for battle. Brian and Jet were told about this place by Professor Oak before they left.

Jet had absolutely no intention in going to the trainer's school for classes; he had enough of those already. From what he was told, the school gym was open to all trainers, but there was a fee to get in if you weren't a student.

And so it was that Jet and Brian set out first thing in the morning to the trainer's school. When they arrived, they found that the fee to get in was thirty dollars apiece for a one month trial membership. Jet didn't feel like spending a month in Viridian City, but he got the trial membership anyway to get his foot in the door.

Their work out room wasn't near as big as the one the research center had. They also didn't have near the amount of equipment. Outside the gym was an area where Pokémon could practice their attacks. This area was about as big as a little league baseball field.

What Jet was really looking forward to, however, was the battle room. The room was about as big as a basketball court. It was heavily padded with mats, and had drains on the ground for water attacks to go to. When Jet and Brian entered, there were already several small battles going on. Each one had groups of spectators standing around, waiting for their turn to enter the fray.

One of the referees walked up to Brian and Jet and asked, "Can I see your passes."

Both boys flashed their passes and the ref whistled, "We don't get a lot of Class A trainers round here. You boys just passing through?"

Brian answered, "We used to work for the Pokémon Research center in Pallet Town. We were told we should check this place out while we're in Viridian."

The ref shook his head, "Mostly local and student trainers here, I'm afraid. None of them really have any particularly strong Pokémon."

Jet smiled, "That's fine, and we actually just started our journey last week. None of our Pokémon are particularly strong either."

The ref nodded, "Have fun, in that case."

The boys both went over to watch a battle between two Rattata. It wasn't very interesting, but the trainers around them were cheering all the same. A young girl with glasses turned to Brian and asked, "You new around here?"

Brian nodded and said, "Me and my friend Jet just wanted to battle some local trainers."

A boy next to the girl with glasses said, "If you want to battle we could head over there. I've been waiting my turn forever."

So Brian, Jet, and the two students they just met found an area big enough for a Pokémon battle. The girl said, "One of the referee's or on break. We have to wait for them before we can begin."

Brian said, "How about a double battle? Winning trainer gets three hundred?"

_Brian sure likes those double battles,_ thought Jet. The male student said, "Ok, but how about you and your friend vs. me and my girlfriend instead of a one on one double battle? I'll put up this TM I have for Hidden Power if you can put up one thousand."

Brian shook his head, "I don't have that kind of money to bet."

Jet, however, said, "Deal. You win, I'll put up the grand. I win, I get that TM."

Brian looked at Jet incredulously. Jet however, wanted that TM. Just about any Pokémon could learn Hidden Power, which made it worth the risk in Jet's opinion. Even if the type and intensity of the attack varied depending on the one using it.

The girl went over to get a ref when two of them came back from their break. She brought the one that met Jet and Brian when they first entered the room over to be the editor of the match. They explain the terms of their match and the ref blew his whistle to get the room's attention.

"Everyone listen up." Jet had no idea why the ref was trying to make this battle a public spectacle, but felt all the more nervous as the students gathered round.

"We have a special demonstration here today. Two Class A trainers have volunteered to face two of our students in a Double Pokémon Battle!"

The students all seemed impressed that Jet and Brian had their Class A's. Jet was beginning to feel even more nervous than before. "Each trainer will use only one Pokémon apiece for this battle. The Pokémon will fight until they are unable, or unwilling to battle. Do the trainers find these terms agreeable?"

All four trainers agreed, "Then send out your Pokémon."

The student couple sent out two Abra. Jet looked at Brian, smiled, and then pulled the ultraball from his belt. "Go Thorn!"

A light emerged from the ball and took the form of Jet's Charmander. The crowd ohh'd and ahh'd. One girl said, "Look at its color! That's so cool!"

Brian grinned and sent out Squirtle. The editor of the match said, "Begin."

"Squirtle, use Tackle!"

"Thorn, use Leer!"

Squirtle tried to Tackle but the Abra he was targeting teleported behind him and used Hidden Power. Squirtle was knocked forward. The other Abra, however, simply shuddered as Thorn's Leer took effect.

The male student said, "Both Abra, teleport to the Squirtle and use Hidden Power!"

"Squirtle, no!" Brian said.

Jet thought to himself that Brian could be really retarded when it came to his Squirtle. But then, he just didn't know how to use him like Jet did. When both Abra appeared on either side of Squirtle and began to glow, Jet said, "Squirtle, jump!"

Squirtle jumped just as the Abra used Hidden Power. The result was both Pokémon getting hit with their own attacks. Jet took advantage of their mistake by saying, "Thorn, Squirtle, get back to back!"

Both Pokémon did as they were told. As Jet was Squirtle's original trainer, it had no quarrels with following his lead. Once the Pokémon were back to back, Jet said, "Save Ember and Bubble for when they start glowing! Keep them on the offensive and show them how we fight!"

Both Pokémon nodded affirmative. The male student got mad and said, "You guys, stop standing there like twiddle dee and twiddle dum and get in there!"

Jet could tell by the way both Pokémon listened to this kid that he was probably both of their OT just like Jet was to Squirtle and Thorn. This was quickly becoming a battle between just them two. Brian seemed to notice this because he said, "Remember to stick and move Squirtle! Don't be afraid to use your pound attack either!"

While Abra's ability to Teleport certainly gave it an advantage against one Pokémon, both Thorn and Jet back to back forced it to attack head-on. In this, Brian and Jet's team was at an advantage. Jet could hear one of the ref's saying, "Watch students, how the Charmander and Squirtle were both expertly trained to deal with close quarters combat.

"They both scratch and bite with the same style of fighting, all the while dipping and dodging their opponent's attacks? See how they remain back to back like that? It completely neutralizes Abra's Teleport. And when they try to use their Hidden Power, like right there! See? See how Charmander took advantage of Abra's hesitation to deliver that powerful Ember attack? Learn from this match. This is obviously expert Pokémon Training at work."

Things were not going good for the Abra. They were knocked down and back so many times they stopped advancing on Thorn and Squirtle. They both stood far enough away from the duo to where no one could attack as long as they were back to back.

"That's it Abra, make them come to you and then take them out!"

Jet thought it was a little rich of this kid to be so sure of victory when his Pokémon were clearly on the verge of giving up from the beating they just took. They were bloody, swollen, (from Bubble), and burned, (from Ember).

Brian looked at Jet with a look that said clearly, _now what?_

Jet thought for only a second before saying, "Squirtle, on all fours! Thorn, on Squirtle's back!" When they did this, Jet continued, "Thorn use Leer, Squirtle use Tackle! Take the fight to them, one at a time!"

Both Pokémon did as they were told, with excellent results. Thorn used leer to put one of the Abra into a trance while Squirtle tackled the shit out of it. Both Pokémon then commenced to beat the Abra senseless.

Their trainer said, "Don't just stand there, help them out!" while his girlfriend simply watched in horror at the spectacle. When the other Abra entered the fray with Teleport, Jet said, "Now Thorn, kill!"

Thorn immediately grabbed the other Abra by the neck with its fangs, drawing blood and a painful squeal as he did so. Jet told his opponents, "Submit now, or you're Pokémon will die!"

The boy across from him gritted his teeth and said, "Abra, use Hidden Power!"

But it was no good, and its life was ebbing away very quickly as Squirtle beat its kin into a pulp. Jet called to them again, "Part of being a Pokémon Trainer is showing compassion for you Pokémon and knowing when to quit, now submit!"

The boy said, "Shut up, I'm not quitting! This TM is too valuable! Abra, stop fucking around and fight!"

Jet couldn't believe that this kid was willing to risk his Pokémon's lives for a fucking TM. Jet turned to his own Pokémon and said, "That's enough, both of you."

They immediately ceased their attacks and backed away from their opponents, both who were now unable to battle. Sure enough, the editor called out, "Both Abra are unable to battle, Charmander and Squirtle are the winners. And I will be reporting you, John, for allowing the battle to go this far. You should have ended it the first time this trainer gave you an out. This is a clear case of abuse."

John protested but the other ref's all ganged up on to tell him off. They then ripped up his membership card. "Pay them what you owe and wait here; we will be calling the authorities shortly."

John took the TM from his bag and threw it in Jet's direction. Squirtle caught it and brought it over to Jet, who said, "Thank you. I want you to know, I will never allow what happened to those Abra happen to you guys. Ever, you have my word."

After the messy business at the trainer's school, Jet and Brian headed back to their room at the Center. When on the Bus, Jet put his new TM in his TM case. A TM is a technical machine. It is a disk made from a special crystal and encrypted with the knowledge of how an attack is done from the memory of a Pokémon that mastered the attack. When it comes in contact with a Pokémon for long enough, the crystal will react with the Pokémon's natural energy and imprint the knowledge it holds on the Pokémon's own memory.

Basically it gives any Pokémon the knowledge of how an attack is done, but only if they have the capability. By law, trainers could use TM's in Pokémon Battle bets along with cash and Pokémon themselves. Jet had never used a TM but always wanted to.

When they got to the room, it was twelve thirty in the afternoon. Neither Jet nor Brian needed to heal their Pokémon, as neither of their Pokémon were really hurt from that last battle.

Brian stretched out in the chair he was sitting in, "You going to your date with Natalie?"

Jet dropped on the bed, "I'm about to call her in a bit, why?"

Brian just shrugged, "I was thinking about taking a nap. The way you battled with Squirtle today, you two still have the bond."

Jet nodded, "I'm sure you two will develop a bond just like that in time."

Brian thought about it, "You're a great trainer Jet. When those Abra started disappearing all over the place, I was lost. But you knew just what to do. I've got to get my shit straight; I can't let my Pokémon down. I need to be as good as you, better in fact."

Jet laughed, "Well good luck with that, I'm going to keep improving too. I have to, if I'm going to become Regional Champion."

Brian raised his eyebrows, "Then we both are going after the same thing, just like when we were little. I can't wait man, when it's you and me on that battlefield. Both with our teams at full strength. It'll be great."

"Yeah," said Jet getting up, "but for right now, I got a date to go to."


	11. Maybe She Will

Maybe She Will

The bus pulled up on Rosalyn ST like Natalie said it would. Jet got in line to file off the bus. He could see Natalie smoking a cigarette through the window while waiting for the bus.

When the vehicle stopped, Natalie put out her cigarette and gestured for Jet to stay on. Jet sat back down and was shortly joined by Natalie. She smiled at Jet and said, "We're going to a Chinese spot down town."

A half hour later, they were both at a Chinese buffet with both of their plates loaded with food. Jet had everything in front of him from vegetable lo mein with broccoli, down to barbeque spare rib tips. What surprised Jet, however, was that Natalie had just as much on her plate.

"So how was your little trip to the trainer's school?"

Jet shrugged, "I won a TM." He took another bite of his General Tso's chicken and said, "This kid I was battling though, he almost let his Pokémon die so he wouldn't lose the match."

Natalie lowered her fork, "Are you fucking serious? What happened?"

Jet told her the story and she said, "Well I'm glad you had your Charmander stop. It's fucked up that people take battles that far. People like that should go to prison and learn how to toss salads."

Almost choked on his Pepsi, "I'm eating!"

Natalie giggled, "You're such a prude, Jethro. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're a virgin."

Jet, choosing another spare rib tip, chose not to answer. Natalie raised her eyebrows and said with a full mouth, "No way. You are? _How old_ are you?"

Jet blushed and said, "Is this really important?"

Natalie giggled and said, "Yes! How come you never-"

"What had sex?"

Natalie giggled and nodded, "Yeah, why not?"

Jet sighed. This was not how he imagined this date going. "I don't know. I never actually dated anyone before."

Natalie looked genuinely shocked, "What? Are you gay or something?"

Jet shook his head. "In middle school it just kind of seemed like everyone was unavailable. And in high school I had a job so I really had no time for a social life."

Natalie shook her head, "When's the last time you kissed a girl. And if you say 'never' I'll fucking slap you."

Jet laughed, "Last week, just before I left town."

Natalie rested her head on her hand and said, "Jeez kid, this explains why you're so timid."

"I'm not timid," Jet said defensively.

Natalie smiled, "Whatever. All I know is that you probably wouldn't have put so much overtime at your job if you were getting some."

Jet didn't answer, but absentmindedly stabbed at his food. Natalie took a bite of her pepper steak and said, "I'm gonna get you laid. I actually know this one gir- why are you looking at me like that?"

Jet shook his head and said, "It's nothing."

Natalie grinned, "Am I annoying you?"

Jet smiled and said, "I never met a girl like you before."

Natalie rolled her eyes, still grinning all the while, "That's the virgin in you talking."

Jet shook his head, "I never met a girl who could annoy the shit out of me like you do."

Natalie started laughing, Jet continued, "But for some reason, no matter how much you get on my nerves, there is something about you I just… like, you know?"

Natalie stopped laughing. "And it isn't just that you're attractive either," said Jet, "It's something _weird_, and something I can't really put into words. Probably because I don't really know what it is? I don't know."

"Aww," said Natalie mockingly, "that's so insulting, and yet so sweet! Are you trying to get into my pants, Jethro?"

Jet rolled his eyes and said, "I'm being serious."

Natalie smiled and said, "Well, being _serious_, I like getting on your nerves. You look so cute when you're irritated."

Jet smiled sheepishly and said, "Let's put you on the stand. How many people have you slept with?"

"Three," Natalie said shamelessly, "The first one had like a really small dick. I didn't really enjoy having sex with him, which is probably why we only did it twice. My second boyfriend was black. Let me tell you, it's true what they say about those black guys.

"He was enormous, too big in fact. I only had sex with him once, which is probably why he broke up with me. The third guy-"

"Let me guess," Jet smirked, "He was just right? I think I've read one version of this story when I was three."

"The _third_ guy," Natalie continued as if there had been no interruption, "was perfect. We would mess around all the time. He was about five years older than me. I was honestly never more in love."

Jet felt a bit insecure by this tale, even as he asked, "What happened to prince charming?"

Natalie sighed, "A girl can only get cheated on so many times before she say's enough."

Jet looked down and said, "Sorry to hear that."

Natalie smiled again, "No you're not. You're glad, because you think you have a shot now."

Jet asked, "What are you, psychic?"

At this point, Natalie burst out laughing. She didn't stop for what felt like two full minutes, at which point she said, wiping tears from her eyes as she did, "You're alright kid."

After their date, Natalie decided to head with Jet to the Trainer's school to meet with Brian. She said she might as well battle with Eevee, because she had nothing better to do until around eight. They met Brian at a table at the school's cafeteria.

"Hey guys, how was the date?"

Natalie said, "Enlightening."

Jet merely grunted as he sat down.

Brian pulled out a map of the Kanto and said, "Ok Jet, I've been thinking about where I want to head after we leave here. What say you to heading east, to Chestnut, and cutting through Chestnut Fields along the way?"

Jet shook his head, "Nah, I was thinking North, to Pewter City. I wanted to stop by the Viridian Forest."

Brian sighed, "We can't go through there, people get lost in that forest for weeks, and there is nothing but weak bug Pokémon in there."

Jet shrugged and said, "I always wanted to see it. Besides, if we go to Pewter, we can head east to Mt. Moon from there and straight to Cerulean after that."

But Brian protested, "We'd get to Cerulean quicker if we just go through Chestnut."

Natalie interjected, "Why don't _you_ head to Chestnut, and _you_ head to Pewter, and you both can meet up at Cerulean."

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Brian said, "That could work."

Jet smiled, "Alright it's settled then. We will meet up at Cerulean City."

Natalie sighed, "Must be nice to go wherever the hell you want just like that. Pick a place and go. I wish I can go hiking at Mt. Moon."

Brian laughed and said, "Why don't you?"

Natalie shrugged, "I don't have the money to."

Jet said, "You can use your Eevee to catch wild Pokémon and then sell them to fund your trip. I haven't heard of a Pokémon who hasn't gone for more than a grand."

Natalie laughed, "Yeah, but I don't have pokeballs. And they aren't exactly cheap, you know."

Brian said, "She's got you there."

Jet however, said, "Easily remedied." He went into his bag and pulled out five unused pokeballs and handed them to Natalie, "Consider this your starter kit."

Natalie didn't smile. She didn't crack a joke. She just looked at Jet with a stunned expression on her face and said, "I can't take these. This is a thousand dollars worth of pokeballs!"

Jet held his hands up, "I'm not taking them back. I have more, I really don't need those."

Natalie continued to look stunned, "Why?"

Jet shrugged, "I don't know. I like you."

Natalie gave a sarcastic laugh, "You like me. Funny." She put the pokeballs in her purse and said, "This isn't going to get you in my pants, you know."

Jet smiled and said, "They weren't meant to."

Before he knew it, Natalie damn near tackled him off his chair as she gave him a crushing hug. Brian laughed and said, "What kind of license do you have?"

Natalie let go of Jet and said, "A class C, why?"

Jet answered, "You will make more money off class B Pokémon. You should register for one while you're here."

Brian nodded and said, "Yeah, we'll stay in Viridian while you do your tests, and then you and Jet can leave together."

Jet, however, said, "Wait, what? When did we establish this?"

Brian shrugged, "I figured since you were both headed to Mt Moon. And plus, it would be cheaper on food and stuff if you two stick together. Besides, you two are cute together."

Both Jet and Natalie looked at each other. Natalie said, "Well, if I do leave I could definitely use some company."

Jet didn't know what to say. It was a bit of a frightening prospect, traveling with this gorgeous girl. Who knows where it could lead?

"Umm, y-yeah. We could go together. I mean, only if _you _want to."

Natalie giggled, "You are such a nerd."

Over the next week, Jet and Brian helped Natalie study for her tests. Natalie was surprised by just how much knowledge both trainers had on the subject of Pokémon. "I swear you two are the biggest Pokémon geeks I ever met!"

The testing for her class B took about ten days, so Jet took advantage of this time and started training his Pokémon every day, bright and early. He would have them lift weights and practice their attacks. He tried to work on Pugsly's defense, but he always became overzealous.

"You're problem," Jet told Pugsly, "is that you have no sense of rhythm when you fight. You're just all over the place. So today we are going to do some rhythm training like I used to do with Thorn."

And with that, Jet played Kanye West's _Stronger_ and showed Pugsly the two-step. "You want to make sure you're constantly moving when you're fighting. A fighter who moves to the beat of his own drum is a dangerous one."

Jet and Thorn demonstrated how to take a stance and shadow box to the beat. They started off slow at first, just to give a demonstration for Sora and Pugsly. Jet then demonstrated how using rhythm could be used at a full speed attack by shadowboxing to the beat.

He punched, dipped, rocked, jabbed, and ducked all in a seamless flow of erythematic movement that looked flawless. Pugsly seemed impressed, and eager to try it out. "Remember, go slow. Start with a two-step to get the beat down, and then move on to form one."

When Jet wasn't helping Natalie study, he was training his Pokémon. He would dominate the battle room at the trainer's school. The bets were so small though, that it was only enough to cover his rent at the Pokémon center.

If his Pokémon weren't battling, they were practicing or doing strength and resistance training. What little free time Jet did have was spent devising battle strategies. He had no idea what was waiting for him in the Viridian Forest, but he wanted to be ready for anything.

When Natalie finally got her license, she said, "Tonight I'm taking you two to a party at my friend's house. And don't you dare bring those backpacks there."

And so plans were set in motion. The three of them were going to leave Viridian City tomorrow, but tonight was a night to get fucked up.

**XXX**

Jethro Brown did not like jello shots. He was unaware of this fact up until recently, now that he was stumbling in the kitchen while his head was spinning. Natalie had introduced him and Brian to her friends. And what generous friends they were, giving both boys jello shot after jello shot as if they were attempting to get rid of a surplus.

At first Jet liked the Jello shots, and was thoroughly convinced that they were not very strong. He danced with three girls, played spades with a few jock types, and danced some more.

It wasn't until one girl was breathing into his ear about how cool it was that he was a trainer did the shots really hit him, and hit him hard. Jet was now in the small kitchen with his head against the wall, praying to deities both known and unknown that his head would stop swimming. _I'm never drinking again!_ He promised himself, knowing this oath to be a lie even as he thought it.

Jet felt his pocket vibrate and pulled out his phone. The caller ID announced that Amy Oak was attempting to reach him. "Hey, beautiful!"

"Jet? Are you drunk?"

Jet tilted his head back and asked, "Is it that obvious?"

Amy laughed on the other end and said, "Well, yeah. You're kind of slurring."

Jet laughed too and said, "My bad, what's up?"

"You act like you can't call me anymore. I mean, it's been two weeks now and I haven't heard from you at all."

Jet suddenly felt guilty; he hasn't called Amy since he met Natalie. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. I've just been busy."

"Busy with Natalie?"

Jet felt even guiltier, _She knows!_ "How did you-"

"Brian says you two make the cutest couple."

Jet thumped his head against the wall, "It's not how it sounds." But that was a lie. He wanted Natalie and he knew it. He just didn't want to upset Amy.

"Is she cute?"

"I- well, yeah she-" This was clearly a trap. Jet watched as Natalie whipped her hair with a bottle of Jose in her hand. She did this to Buck Cherry's _Crazy Bitch._

"I'm not going to lie to you Amy; she scares me a little bit."

Amy giggled and said, "It's ok, Jet. I'm not expecting you to stay away from other girls or anything. I'm certainly not staying away from other boys."

Jet didn't really know what to say to this, so he simply remained silent. Amy then said, "Don't stop calling over some bitch you just met, though. I thought I at least meant more to you than that."

Jet now felt like the biggest asshole this side of the Kanto region, "I'm sorry Amy. I'm so sorry, I'm a dick."

Amy said, "Yeah, you can say that again."

Jet smiled and said, "I'm a dick. But I'll call you every night, I promise. Right now though, I just really need to go throw up somewhere."

And with that, Jet bade Amy farewell, and ran up the stairs into the bathroom. He shut the door and lifted up the toilet seat. Seeing that someone didn't flush their piss, Jet flushed it for them and prepared to puke. As if by mental command, Jet felt vomit pour from his mouth into the toilet.

He puked three times, and then spit the bile from his mouth. Feeling disgusted with his self, Jet flushed the toilet and went to rinse his mouth out in the sink. He rinsed it out with water first, and then put some toothpaste on his finger and proceeded to thoroughly brush his teeth.

After brushing twice, Jet popped some Listerine and gurgled for about fifteen seconds. He spit the mouth wash out and then popped some more. After swishing for thirty seconds, he spit it out and washed his hands.

When Jet returned to the party downstairs, he was still a little buzzed, but felt a lot better since puking. His breath tasted strongly of Listerine though. Natalie came out of nowhere and pulled Jet toward her to dance.

They were playing Lil Wayne's _She Will_ over the stereo. Natalie began to grind her butt against Jet's front, and moving her hips with the beat. She then grabbed Jet's hands and placed one on her waist and the other on her chest.

Jet couldn't help but get aroused as they grinded on each other. Jet placed his cheek against Natalie's and smelled her perfume. If there was one thing that attracted Jet the most when it came to girls, it was the way they smelled. He could see a cute face any day of the week on TV. However, when he was grinding that close to Natalie and taking in her scent, he found that he lost all his inhibitions.

He placed his hand on her cheek and turned her face so her lips brushed against his. She didn't stop him, but instead grabbed his head and moved him deeper into the kiss. All the while, Jet could here Drake singing:

_She just started to pop it for a nigga and looked back and told me baby it's real._

_I said I ain't doubt you for a second and I squeeze it and I can tell how it feel._

_I wish we could go any fucking where but here baby you know the deal!_

_And she bad, uh, so maybe she won't,_

_But shit, then again, maybe she will._

They broke apart from the kiss and Jet grabbed Natalie's hand. He lead her up the steps wordlessly and then into an empty bedroom. As soon as they got inside, Natalie grabbed Jet's shirt and fell onto the bed with him. Jet pressed his lips against Natalie's; hard at first and then softer as they began to make out again.

Natalie slipped her tongue in and out of Jet's mouth regularly. Jet moved one of his hands from Natalie's back to her ass. When she didn't complain, he moved his hand from her ass to the area between her legs. Instead of protesting, she kissed harder.

Jet then moved his hand again and approached from the front, this time rubbing her crotch none too softly. Natalie moaned and Jet continued. He wasn't exactly sure why he was being so forward, but as it was working, Jet attempted to unbutton Natalie's jeans.

At this, Natalie pushed Jet off of her. Jet thought he crossed the line, that is, until Natalie turned over and puked on the bed. Jet went to hold Natalie's hair, but she said, "Go get me a fucking towel! Quick!"

Jet ran to the bathroom and did as he was told. Natalie wiped her face with the towel and then balled it up in the covers. After rolling the covers into a ball, she threw them into a corner and said, "Don't say anything! Laura doesn't need to know I threw up on her parent's bed before I left."

Jet nodded and Natalie left the room, mumbling something about mouthwash. _Well, that was anticlimactic._ Guessing that Natalie most certainly would not want to finish what they started, Jet headed downstairs. Finding Brian, he told him, "Dude, if Natalie asks, I headed back to the center."

Brian looked worried, "Dude are you sure? Cause if you got rejected, there are plenty of other girls here."

Jet laughed and said, "I'm sure."

When Jet got back to his room, he received a text that read:

_So sorry about what happened! Hope your not mad?_

Jet wrote back:

_Not at all, I just need to get some rest for tomorrow._

She sent another text back saying that she was already home as well and that she'd meet him at his room in the morning. Jet didn't bother taking off his clothes. He instead dropped on his bed and welcomed the sleep as an old friend.

_What a night._


	12. The Forest Lodge

The Forest Lodge

"Why isn't she texting back?"

Jet was pacing. It was two in the afternoon on the day they were set to leave, and Natalie was nowhere to be found. Brian sat on Jet's bed playing Tetris on his phone.

"I told you, Jet," Brian scoffed impatiently, "She's probably having second thoughts because of what happened last night. Your bus leaves in two hours and she hasn't called or texted? She's gone, man. You blew it."

Jet stopped pacing and looked down at his phone again; knowing damn well that if Natalie had tried to contact him he would have felt it vibrate. Brian was both impressed and amused by Jet's account of how the host's blanket ended up covered in puke.

Jet, however, was far less amused. He was thoroughly convinced that he should not have left the party. Perhaps that's why she wasn't calling? Had he offended her?

After a half hour of pacing and venting, Jet had to say goodbye to Brian.

"Dude," Brian began, "Are you sure you don't want to come with me? We'll get to Cerulean faster my way. Besides, the Viridian forest is full of weak bug Pokémon. And Natalie isn't comin-"

"I'll wait for her." Said Jet, "Thanks anyway, though."

Brian smiled and shook his head, "You whipped, my brother. I love you, bro."

Jet laughed and said, "I love you, too. Have fun."

And with that, Brian left the room. Jet felt a sudden sense of loneliness. Brian was moving on, Amy was left behind, and Natalie had stood him up. Jet pulled the ultraball from his belt and smiled. "As long as I have you, I'll be just fine."

Deciding it best to rest his eyes for a bit before he left to catch his bus, Jet set an alarm and lay down.

**XXX**

_Knock, Knock, knock, knock._ Jet sat up instantly, his heart beating in his chest. "Jesus, what the fuck?" _Knock, knock, knock, knock._ Jet went over to the door and opened it, and saw Natalie standing in the hall.

"The umm," Natalie looked slightly timid for some reason, "The receptionist said you hadn't checked out yet."

Jet just stared at her. She came back! She hadn't stood him up after all! His face split into a wide smile.

Seeing Jet smile seemed to relieve Natalie for some reason, because she smiled as well. Jet's phone suddenly went off on the night stand.

"It's just my alarm," he said, "Come in."

She walked in the threshold as Jet went to turn off the alarm. She then sat on the bed and dropped her bag. Jet looked over at Natalie and saw her staring at him with those big, gorgeous eyes.

"I got to…" Jet reached in his bag and grabbed his tooth brush, "I'll be right back."

Natalie waited on the bed while Jet went to brush his teeth and wash up. She called into the bathroom, "You're probably wondering why I didn't call you back this morning."

She heard the brushing stop for a second, and then continue. Looking down at her feet, she continued talking, "To be honest I wasn't a hundred percent sure if I was still going to go with you. It's not like I don't like you. I do, a lot actually. But you see, that's part of the problem."

She heard Jet spit before he asked, "What do you mean?"

Natalie continued, "It's just all kind of moving pretty fast is all. I just met you, and we're about to go traveling together? And last night, when we-"

She paused when Jet walked out of the bathroom and stared at her. Blushing, Natalie kept talking, "I just got out of a relationship with this older guy who… Well, let's just say he really did some damage when he cheated on me. I was in the woods with Eevee blowing off steam when I met you and I just…"

Jet smiled and said, "You don't want to rush into anything, I get it."

Natalie blushed and turned away. Jet was surprised to see her look so… _shy_. It felt strange but, at the same time, he was relieved that he wasn't intimidated by her anymore. Jet put his hand on her cheek and said, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

She looked up at him and he said, "I'd really like you to come with me, though."

Natalie smiled and said, "Yeah, that won't be awkward."

Jet shrugged, "It's only awkward if we make it awkward. So… what do you say?"

Natalie sighed and rolled her eyes, "I got a bag packed don't I? Let's get moving, Poindexter."

"Aaaand, she's back." Jet said as he opened the door.

**XXX**

Three hours later they were riding down route two in a bus. Neither had really said much to the other, but they did glance at each other every so often. _Yup,_ Jet thought to himself, _this is awkward._ Natalie tapped Jet and said, "We have to get off at this stop and continue on foot."

Jet raised his eyebrows and said, "What? Why?"

Natalie said, "Because, this bus goes _around_ the Viridian Forest and straight to Pewter. Wasn't your plan to go _through_ the forest to get some training in?"

Jet nodded, "Oh yeah."

When they got off the bus, the followed a dirt road that led North-West to the Viridian forest. Natalie pointed to the distant tree line and said "We go up this road about two miles and we'll end up at this place called the Forest Lodge at the very edge of the woods. Me and my dad use to stay there."

"Two miles!" Jet exclaimed, "Are you serious?"

Natalie smacked Jet on the back of his head, "Are you a trainer or not? What do you think we are going to be doing on this trip? Riding motorcycles everywhere? You better be ready to do some walking, kid, and a lot of it."

Jet rubbed the back of his head and glared at Natalie, who seemed to enjoy his irritation. They then set off for the Forest Lodge, and the promise of dinner with a warm bed. After about ten minutes of walking they passed a pond. In the pond was a…

"A Psyduck, good shit!" Jet pointed to the yellow-billed Pokémon waddling out of the water.

Natalie looked at it and said, "Dibs."

Jet, who was about to reach for his Charmander, grimaced and said, "Go ahead. Let's see what you've got."

Natalie smiled and sent out her Eevee. "Let's get him, boy!"

Eevee took a fighting stance in front of the Psyduck, who seemed thoroughly unaware of the presence of new enemies within his territory. Natalie called, "Hit him with Head butt!"

Eevee ran at the unsuspecting Psyduck and hit him with a powerful but to the head. Jet, who had been on the receiving end of that attack during his first encounter with Eevee, said, "You shouldn't have done that."

Natalie rolled her eyes, "Why not?"

Jet watched the Psyduck fall to the ground and clutch his head. "Because he might get a headache."

Natalie looked at Jet and said, "So what?"

Jet simply pointed at the Psyduck, who had gotten up and started running in circles, screaming its head off. Eevee hesitated on his next attack, choosing instead to watch the Psyduck's strange behavior. The Psyduck stopped running and clenched its head while letting out a loud cry.

Natalie seemed as disturbed as Eevee was by this behavior, but none the less called out, "Finish him off with Quick-attack!"

Eevee ran at Psyduck but was stopped dead in its tracks. Natalie gasped as Eevee was lifted in the air by the Psyduck. Eevee began to scream in pain. Natalie turned to Jet and said, "What's going on?"

Jet frowned and said, "It looks like Psyduck is using a combination of Telekinesis and Confusion. The former of which allows Psyduck to move objects with his mind. The latter of which constricts the brain, hurting and disorienting its opponent."

"What?" Natalie exclaimed, "I thought Psyduck couldn't control his psychic powers!"

Eevee began rising in the air and slamming into the ground rapidly.

Jet said, "Its powers get stronger when it gets a headache! Just because it can't control its powers doesn't mean its powers aren't dangerous! You should call your Pokémon back!"

Natalie nodded and recalled Eevee. Psyduck began pacing again while screaming and clutching his head. Jet was about to send out Sora, but Natalie already sent her Eevee back out. Jet smiled.

"I get it," he said, "You put Eevee in his Pokeball to get him away from Psyduck's attack so you can send him back out at a safe distance away from his attacks."

Natalie smiled, "Pretty smart, huh?"

Jet nodded and said, "But how do you plan on attacking?"

Natalie turned and asked Eevee, "Are you still good to fight?" Eevee nodded, though visibly shaken. Natalie said, "Right then, let's see how good those attacks are if he can't find you! Use Sand attack!"

Eevee kicked up a big sand cloud in front of the Psyduck. Natalie said, "Now use Dig!"

Eevee dug underground. Jet watched as the Psyduck continued to pace and winced when Eevee attacked from underground. No sooner than when the attack made contact, Natalie yelled, "Back underground and do it again!"

Jet was amazed by how fast Eevee got back underground, especially considering he wasn't even a ground type Pokémon. Psyduck got up and started to yell again. And yet again, Eevee delivered another blow. This time, Psyduck didn't look like it was getting up.

Natalie threw a pokeball, and watched with bated breath as the Psyduck was sucked in. It rolled around four times, until there was a metallic click, showing that Psyduck was caught.

Natalie looked dumbstruck. "I caught it?" When Jet nodded, she let out a loud, "Wooooo! I caught it!"

Eevee picked up the Pokeball in his mouth and proudly trotted over to his master. She picked her little Eevee up and gave it a big kiss on top of its head. "You fucked shit up today, yes you did! Mommy's so proud of you!"

Jet laughed, and Natalie scoffed, "What's so funny? I don't see your weak ass Pokémon taking out any real opponents!"

Jet thought that was a bit below the belt, but he let it slide anyway. Natalie shrank her pokeball and said, "I've never been one for naming Pokémon, but in this one's case I'll make an exception."

Jet was surprised, "Really? What are you going to name it?"

Natalie smiled and said, "I'm thinking Psycho sounds appropriate!"

Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at the Forrest Lodge. It looked like one of those Bread and Breakfasts Jet had seen on TV. Jet was surprised by how many cars were out front of the Lodge. "Is it honeymoon season or something?"

Natalie shrugged and they entered the building.

In the lobby was scores of young trainers, most of which were wearing green jackets with black spider silhouettes on the back. "Bug Catchers." Jet said in an undertone to Natalie.

Natalie raised her eyebrows, "What is this, a geek convention? You'd probably fit right in."

Jet shrugged and said, "I know there are a lot of Bug Catchers in this area, but why are they congregating in a place like this?"

Natalie giggled and said, "Anyone ever tell you that you use too many big words?"

Jet was about to respond when a tall, skinny kid interrupted, "You here for the contest?"

Natalie shook her head and Jet asked, "What contest?"

The boy pointed to a table where several nerdy looking adults wearing green jackets were overseeing a sign up roster. "The Viridian Forest Bug Catching contest! It's the first time a contest of its kind was ever held in the Kanto."

Natalie raised her eyebrows, "A bug contest? Seriously?"

"Ohhh," said Jet, "Like the one they hold every year in the Johto right?"

The boy smiled, "Yup! You get one week to find a strong bug Pokémon in the forest. At the contests end, the one with the best Pokémon wins a special TM!"

Natalie looked up at the word TM. "What kind of TM?"

The boy shrugged, "Dunno, but there's a fifty dollar entrance fee if you're not a member of the Johto/Kanto Bug Catcher's Association."

Jet immediately went over to the sign up table. To his surprise, he was followed by Natalie.

"I didn't think you would be into this kind of thing."

Natalie sighed, "I'm really not, but that TM could be useful. If not, I can always sell it."

Jet smiled, "Well good luck beating me!"


	13. The Contest Begins

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you to all those who favorited this story. Glad to know it is being read. I very much appreciate the reviews, keep them coming!**

The Contest Begins

"Soooo, we just paid fifty bucks to catch bugs, and we don't even have a clear idea what the prize is?"

Natalie's voice was coming from the bathroom, projected over the roar of her hairdryer. "I mean," she walked into the room wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt, "I don't even like Bug type Pokémon."

Jet, who was at the in a chair writing something in his notebook, looked up at Natalie. "Quit complaining! If either of us wins that TM, then we will make over twenty times as much as we paid to enter the competition."

Natalie turned off the hairdryer and began to wrap the cord, "Unless it's a TM for Tackle or something."

Jet laughed, "Who would make a TM for Tackle? That's one of the easiest attacks to teach!"

Natalie sighed and laid on the bed, "You know what I mean, Jethro."

They had paid the entrance fee for the contest and got a room for the night. They would only be staying there for just that night, as both Natalie and Jet agreed that camping out would be better for training.

Natalie watched Jet write for a couple of minutes before asking, "You starting a journal or something?" Jet shook his head, "Nah. I'm writing down my strategies and ideas for training to keep track of everything. This is more like a play book."

Natalie stretched out on the bed. "You must really take this stuff seriously," she yawned, "I mean, I know you do. I just didn't know to what extent."

Jet finished scribbling in his play book and put it away. "Well, aside from the fact that I'm trying to get into next year's regionals, I can't let my Pokémon down. They give me a hundred percent and I'm going to give them just as much."

Natalie picked up the remote and turned on the TV, "Whatever."

Jet went in the bathroom to take a shower. Natalie was flipping through channels when she came across a news report.

"_Hello Tom! I'm here at the Forest Lodge outside of Viridian City, where the Kanto division of the Bug Catcher's Association is having their first annual Viridian Forest Bug Catcher's Contest."_

"Hey Jethro, the Contest is on the news!"

"Huh? I can't hear you!"

Natalie turned up the news story.

_"So, as the President of the Kanto Division, what is your hope for the contest?"_

A fat older man in a Bug Catcher's Jacket looked in the camera and said, _"Well, the plan is to get some local trainers from around the area interested in Bug Catching. Aside from the TM that we put up for first prize, we have several lesser prizes from custom pokeballs to t shirts and other B.C.A. products."_

_"Interesting," _said the news castor, _"And what kind of Bug Pokémon do you think we will be seeing this year?"_

_"Mostly Caterpie and Weedle, as well as their evolved forms. There are also the nocturnal Spinarak in this forest for those brave enough to hunt at night. The big prize though, three months ago we released a young family of Pinser imported from the Rainbow Islands._

_There were only ten of them out there, but they were young when we released them so some of them may have been caught by other trainers or eaten by Pidgey. If a trainer did find one, it would sure help their chances of winning the competition."_

Jet walked in the room and laid down next to Natalie, "Pinser, huh? I'd like to catch one of those. They are rare in this part of the region."

Natalie covered herself up and said, "No freaky stuff in the middle of the night!"

Jet smiled, "As long as you don't hog the blankets, we're good."

**XXX**

Bright and early the next morning, Jet and Natalie checked out of the Lodge and entered the Forest itself. Jet found himself a bit overwhelmed by the landscape. To say the trees were huge was an understatement. Many of them seemed five to seven stories tall, and three times thicker than Jet's body.

There were vines and thorns everywhere. There were also small boulders half dug into the earth, many of which were covered in the same moss that seemed to cover everything else.

"Damn, it's hard to maneuver around in this place." Jet grumbled as he went out of his way to avoid more thorns. Natalie said, "Yeah, I've never actually went very far into this forest. This place is huge!"

They had been traversing through the thick trees and pollen ridden atmosphere for a half hour. Besides some local bird Pokémon and a tree full of Metapod, they haven't found anything that would help them in the contest.

"So," Natalie grunted as they jumped over a stream of water, "what exactly are they looking for in this competition? Do we have to find rare Pokémon or strong Pokémon?"

"Um," Jet ducked a low branch, "Besides Pinser, there are no rare Pokémon in this forest. On the seventh day they hold a little battle tournament to see how caught the cream of the crop, so we are looking for strong Pokémon."

Jet heard a rustle to his right and went to check it out. He then found what looked like a big, yellow caterpillar with a stinger on its head sliver by.

"Dibs!" Jet smiled as he pulled a pokeball from his belt. Natalie giggled, "That's what you're entering in the contest? That's not powerful or rare!"

Jet enlarged the ball and slowly began to follow the Weedle, saying in a low voice, "Few Pokémon in this forest are. Instead of judging a book by its cover, try to see a Pokémon for its potential."

Natalie smiled, _This guy is definitely interesting._ Jet threw the pokeball into the air and Sora popped out. As soon as the Weedle saw a Pidgey it fled into the bushes. Sora went to chase it but Jet said "Stop! If this Pokémon is going to run from you rather than fight back than I don't want it on my team. I have no need for a Pokémon with no fighting spirit."

Evidently the Weedle must have heard Jet because it let out a hissing noise and emerged from the bush. It glared at Sora and hissed again. Jet grinned, "I stand corrected! This little guy has heart! Tell you what, Weedle. If you can beat Sora here than I won't attempt to capture you. But when Sora wins, let's just say I'll help you cultivate that fighting spirit."

The Weedle turned to Jet and nodded, before hissing at Sora again. Natalie gave a soft, "Ohh," of realization. _Jethro must have taunted the Weedle on purpose to get him to fight back! He isn't looking for Pokémon who are already strong; He's looking for Pokémon with potential so he can _make_ them strong! He certainly is cocky about his ability to raise them if he thinks he can turn that Weedle into a contest winner in less than a week, though._

Jet called to Sora, "Use Sand-attack!"

Sora dove and kicked up a cloud of sand around Weedle. Jet saw a String-Shot emerge from said cloud, and miss Sora by inches. Jet smiled and said, "Good job, Sora! Now hit 'em with Peck!"

Sora's Keen Eye ability allowed it to enter the cloud of sand without loss of accuracy. It used the type effective Peck attack on Weedle, who squealed and squirmed out the way.

The sand cloud cleared up and Weedle used String-Shot, hitting home this time. One of Sora's wings got caught and he landed on the ground to attempt to get it off. Weedle took advantage and ran straight at Sora, horn first.

"Sora, side-step and use Scratch!"

Sora quickly avoided the horn and used Scratch on the same spot where Weedle was pecked before. Weedle squealed and Jet said, "Finish it off with Tackle!"

Sora ran around Weedle to avoid getting hit with the Poison Sting Weedle tried to use on her, and then went in for a full body Tackle. Weedle was knocked back a couple of meters. Jet took advantage and threw an empty Pokeball.

Weedle was sucked in, and the ball rolled around for what seemed like forever. Finally there was a metallic click and Weedle was caught. Jet went over to Sora and helped pull the web off her wing. "Good job, girl!" He said before recalling her.

Natalie watched as Jet picked up Weddle's Pokeball and registered it on his Pokedex. "You taught your Pidgey to fight on the ground, huh?"

Jet put his Pokedex away and said, "Of course! I teach my team to be able to fight in any condition." He looked down at the newly caught Weedle he had and said, "I'm going to call you Hornet."

Natalie smiled and said, "You're going to name every one you catch, aren't you?"

Jet laughed, "That's half the fun!"

They set off again and Natalie asked, "So, you using it for the contest or you caught just for shits and giggles?"

"I plan on catching a few bug Pokémon today, and spend all week training them. By the end of the week, the one that improves the most will be my contest entry."

They walked for another hour before resting at a large sitrus berry tree. Jet looked up and said, "These things are all over this forest. A good thing too, because these berries have healing properties. I think I'm going to climb up and get some."

"Why not just send Sora?"

Jet shrugged and said, "She deserves a rest. Besides, if you make your Pokémon do everything for you it kind of takes some of the excitement out of life."

"If you say so," said Natalie, "I'm going to sit down for a while."

Jet climbed up the tree; a task made easy due to the amount of branches. While he was dropping berries to the ground, Natalie sat down and leaned against the tree, yawning. "I need to get some sleep tonight. As early as this guy wakes up for training, I'm lucky if I get six hours."

She heard some twigs crack and turned her head. She saw a boy with red hair and a green jacket stumble into view. "Damn thorns!" He saw Natalie sitting and grinned.

"Wow, I don't know a lot of girl Bug Catcher's!"

Natalie raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Do you see a green jacket? I'm here for the TM, not the bugs."

"Oh," the boy's face fell a little bit. "The TM is probably a bug type move. So if you don't like bugs, then the TM's useless to you."

Natalie stood back up, "Thanks for the concern but I'm selling it, not keeping it." Natalie watched as the boy's eyes fell to her chest before saying, "I'm Derek, nice to meet you!"

Letting out a sigh, Natalie crossed her arms and said "Natalie." The boy walked over to her and leaned against the tree in what she was sure was supposed to be a "cool" way.

"So," the boy said, "You in this forest all alone? Cuz I know my way around here. I live right in Viridian, I come here every summer. I could help you find your way. Hell, I can even catch some bug Pokémon for you if you like; good ones too!"

Natalie raised her eyebrows, "Are you serious?"

The boy grinned and said, "Yup, just leave those big bad bugs to me!"

Natalie smiled and said, "Thanks, but I don't think my boyfriend would like that."

The smile was instantly dropped from Derek's face, "You have a boyfriend?"

Natalie's smile got bigger. "Yeah, he's a trainer too. He already has a pretty badass bug Pokémon, so I think I'll be good."

As if on cue, Jet dropped down from a branch and said, "Who's you're friend?" He was carrying a plastic bag full of berries that said Pokemart on it.

Derek looked at Jet and asked Natalie, "_This_ is your boyfriend?"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "Who the fuck are you, anyway?"

Derek took a couple of steps back and said, "I'm the guy who's gonna win this contest! Since you're my competition, how about a little battle?"

Jet rolled his eyes, "No thanks, I'm just catching today."

Derek laughed and said, "Just as well, my Pokémon would own yours anyway!"

Natalie saw a quick flash of anger in Jet's eyes before he calmly said, "That so?"

The boy grinned, "Definitely."

Jet smiled, "Ok, how much you willing to bet?"

The boy laughed and said, "Fifty says you're going down!"

Jet burst out laughing, "Fifty? No seriously, fifty? Bet's against me start at five hundred, kid."

The boy looked dumbstruck, "What? No way! I don't have that kind of money!"

Jet sighed and said "Small potatoes, I guess. Darling?" Jet asked Natalie sarcastically.

Natalie smirked and answered, "Yes, dear?"

"Why don't you face him? You can test out Psycho."

The boy looked worried when he heard the name Psycho. Natalie, however, grinned, "What an excellent idea, sweet pea! I think I will!"

Jet turned to Derek and said, "I'll be the editor of the match. Bet's one hundred. I'll cover her cost if she loses, which she won't. Each trainer uses one Pokémon each. The match continues until one of the Pokémon is either unable or unwilling to battle. Do both trainers' except these terms?"

Natalie said, "Sounds good!"

Derek frowned, "One hundred is a little steep don't you think?"

Natalie sighed, "How the hell were you planning to protect me if you can't even beat me?"

Derek blushed. Apparently this hurt his pride, because he said, "One hundred's fine. I just hope your hubby can handle the cost when I beat your ass!"

Jet raised an eyebrow, "Hubby_? Seriously_? Whatever. Both trainer's take your positions and send out your Pokémon."

Natalie and Derek gave themselves space to battle. Natalie sent out Psycho. The boy laughed and said, "A Psyduck? That's your secret weapon, the one you called the Psycho? Ah man this is going to be easy. Go Dustox!"

The moth like Pokémon appeared from its capsule and hovered above the ground. It stared at Psycho ready for battle. Psycho simply looked indifferent to the proceedings.

Jet grinned and said, "Aaaaaaaannd, Begin!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Will Natalie be able to put this cocky little shit in his place with her new Psyduck? Will Jet be able to make a weak bug like Hornet into a fighter like Sora? Find out in the next installment!**


	14. The Training of Butters and Hornet

The Training of Butters and Hornet

Derek pointed at Psycho and yelled, "Use Poison Sting!"

"Dodge and use Water Gun!"

Dustox went in for the attack while Psycho simply looked confused. It looked as if Psycho was in trouble until…

"Ouch," Jet winced as Dustox was hit by a torrent of water at point blank range. Jet still had memories of being hit by a Water-Gun attack, and felt a bit of sympathy as Dustox was knocked into a nearby tree.

"Keep it up, Psycho!" Natalie cheered. Psyduck sent out another Water-Gun as an answer. This time though, Dustox dodged it.

"Alright," Derek called, "now bring it around and use Stun-Spore!"

Dustox flew in between the torrent of Water-Gun attacks and started to release a yellow powder from its wings. Natalie quickly told Psycho, "Hold your breath, don't breathe that powder in!"

But Psycho looked back at Natalie confused. The powder fell over Psycho and made him sneeze. When he went to inhale to catch his breath, he became paralyzed.

Natalie yelled, "Psycho, no!"

"Alright Dusty, now finish him! Use Confusion!"

Dustox's eyes began to glow. Psycho suddenly started yelling in pain while shaking; evidently his body was trying to fight off the effects of Stun-Spore.

Natalie yelled, "That's it! Fight it Psycho!"

But Psycho simply cried out and grabbed his head. Derek grinned and said, "It's over; your Pokémon is finished!"

Natalie, however, smiled, "It's not over, asshole; it's just getting started. Psycho, show them what a _real_ confusion looks like!"

Psycho stopped yelling as his eyes began to glow. All of a sudden, Dustox started screaming in pain. It was then slammed to the ground by the force of Psycho's Telekinesis.

"Dusty!" Derek yelled, but to no avail. Dustox was being slammed into trees, the ground, nearby rocks, all while screaming from the pain of Confusion.

"Psyduck has strong psychic powers," Jet began, "but they are usually dormant. Their powers start to show when they get headaches, and they release all that pent up energy in the form of powerful psychic attacks. This particular Psyduck is very talented at using multiple psychic attacks at the same time."

Derek watched in horror as his Pokémon was slammed side to side. "Two attacks? At once?" He tried to tell Dustox to fight back with confusion, but to no avail. Jet continued talking.

"That's bad for your Dustox, who is Poison type. When you had your Pokémon use confusion on Psycho, you basically just threw the match. A common mistake for novice trainers," Jet added with a bit of a smirk, "So don't beat yourself up about it."

Derek gritted his teeth and yelled, "Dusty, don't give up! Fight back!" But poor Dusty only screamed louder. Derek called to Natalie, "Ok, I give up! You win!"

Natalie looked over at Psycho and said, "That's enough. You did great!"

Dustox fell to the ground, bloodied and beaten. Natalie could see that one of its wings was broken from Psycho's attacks. Natalie walked over to Psycho and handed him a Sitris berry from the ground.

"You're one tough mother fucker, you know that?" Psycho took a seat and ate his berry with a slight sense of enthusiasm. Derek crouched down next to his Dustox.

"You should recall it," Jet said, "There isn't much these berries can do for it. Recall it and shrink his ball. Don't enlarge it until you get to a Pokémon center. That Pokémon needs medical care."

Derek didn't look at Jet or reply, but did as was suggested. He then reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Here, take your fucking money."

He handed Natalie five twenties. Natalie smiled, "Pleasure doing business with you!"

Derek however, turned his back on her and walked away. Jet frowned, "Do you think every dude we battle is going to be as sore as this douche bag?"

Natalie shrugged, "Psycho did break one of his Pokémon's wings. I'd be sore too."

Natalie wanted to rest at the Sitris tree to give her Psyduck time to recover from the effects of Stun-Spore. Jet agreed and decided he would get a head start on training for the day and catch more Pokémon later.

And so both trainers set up camp and sent out their Pokémon. Sora and Thorn went hunting while Pugsly and Eevee ate Sitrus berries for lunch. This left Natalie to attend to Psycho, and Jet to Hornet.

"Ok, here's the deal," Jet began, "What me and my team are working towards is to be nothing short of the best. The training will be hard, the fights will be dangerous. I will do everything in my power to make you reach your full potential, but that's only if you are willing to work for it. If not, you can leave now and I'll find another Weedle who is ready to give it their all."

Hornet didn't move an inch, but instead looked at Jet with a sense of determination. Jet smiled and said, "Ok then. First thing's first, we have to work on your string shot. It's time for some strength training."

And so started the "web" training. Jet had Hornet shoot webs on multiple tree branches and then climb them. He would have Hornet jump from string to string, all the while timing his progress. "Too slow, do it again."

This training did not stop until Thorn and Sora returned. Both carried fish from some nearby pond. As they prepped and ate the bounty, Hornet was allowed to rest.

During the meal, a Caterpie waddled into their camp. "Oh look, Hornet!" Jet exclaimed, "Another friend to train with you! How lucky!"

And so Jet captured the Caterpie, (Courtesy of Pugsly). Caterpie was then christened "Butters", ("Do you even have a penis?" Natalie laughed.), and the web training commenced. Thorn supervised the training for regular training for Sora and Pugsly, while Jet had the newest members of the team pull boulders around the campsite using their String Shots.

"Too slow, that's another four laps!"

Two hours later, when everyone was exhausted, they all ate Sitris berries to regain their energy. Jet waited until they had their fill and said, "Now that you are all energized, training will commence in another five minutes."

Everyone but Thorn groaned, even more so as the training got harder. Jet had both Hornet and Butters get on high branches and made them pull their boulders up using string shot. "Let's go! Faster, faster! Hey Pugsly, keep those elbows in! Nice dive, Sora! Keep up the good work!"

At night time, Thorn and Jet kept watch while the other's slept. Jet watched the trees sway in the moonlight while Thorn chewed on a fish bone. Natalie came up to Jet and said, "Me and Eevee are going to relieve you guys. You should get some sleep."

Jet looked up and said, "Ok, thanks. Wake me up at day break so I can start training."

Natalie grabbed Jet's arm as he went to walk away and asked, "Don't you think you're working them too hard? I mean, I know they get more energy every time they eat those berries, but don't you think you might break their spirit if you keep this up?"

Thorn, who was chewing on a fish bone, snorted smoke and shook his head. Jet smiled, "That's kind of the point. I got to break them down to build them back up."

Natalie raised an eyebrow, "That's kind of harsh."

Jet shook his head. "Pokémon battles aren't exactly like they look on the videogames and on TV. You saw the match between Psycho and ol' Dusty today. You've seen what can happen. That actually happens more often than not. I work my Pokémon so hard because I care about them, and because I don't want to see that happen to them. So, I got to help my Pokémon get stronger than my opponents."

Natalie smiled, "I guess you're right. I'll get you guys up bright and early."

Jet kissed Natalie on the cheek and said, "Thanks for your concern."

As Jet walked away with Thorn in tow, Natalie placed her hand on her cheek where he had kissed her.

**XXX**

By the time the sun was up, everyone was back to strength training. Jet was sitting on a stump with a berry in one hand, and a stop watch in the other. Natalie sat next to him.

"You should get some sleep," Jet said, "I'm not going to be done the strength training for another hour."

Natalie rested her head on his shoulder and said, "No that's ok. I can't sleep anyway; every time I try I get the Rainbow Connection song stuck in my head."

Jet laughed, "What? Why?"

Natalie shrugged, "I use to sing that song to Eevee when he was a puppy."

_"Why are there so many songs about rainbows?_

_And what's on the oother side?"_

Natalie groaned and said, "You're not helping."

Jet smiled and said, "Damn it, now it's stuck in my head."

Natalie grinned and Jet said, "You should go get some berries. You're distracting me."

"Aww, big bad Pokémon trainer is getting distracted by little ol' me? How will you ever be able to concentrate in a real battle if you can't even resist my charms?"

Jet looked at Natalie's devious little smile and said, "I hate you."

Natalie kissed him on the cheek and said, "You love me, admit it!"

**XXX**

After strength training, Jet decided he was going to start Butter's and Hornet's technique training. "First thing is first, I'm going to teach you guys Hidden Power. It's an attack in which you draw energy from deep inside yourself, and release it in an outward, short ranged burst of power. The attack varies in power and type for each Pokémon who uses it."

Jet called Pugsly over, "How about a demonstration? Use Hidden Power!"

Pugsly took a deep breath and began to glow. He then let out a burst of brown energy that spread one meter out in every direction. Jet took the TM from inside of his bag and called Hornet over.

He placed the TM on Hornet's brow and waited. Sure enough, the TM reacted to Hornet's natural energy and began to glow. Hornet's eyes started glowing as the knowledge of how to perform Hidden Power was being imprinted on his brain.

Jet did the same with Butters. He watched as she too gained the knowledge necessary to use Hidden Power. After both Pokémon learned how to use the attack, it was time to practice it.

"Alright, Hornet, try it out."

Hornet took a deep breath and began to glow. It took a lot longer for him to build up the power to use the attack then Pugsly. When he did, the range was smaller. It was also purple.

"That's ok, don't be discouraged. Whenever learning a new attack, it always takes a while to get use to it. Ok Butters, your turn."

Butters' Hidden Power was clear, and its range was slightly bigger than Hornet's. Deciding it was best if they all practiced the attack, Jet had them space out and try it out one at a time.

"Take your time. In this case I'm not looking for speed, but rather trying to have everyone get a feel for this attack. It isn't very powerful, but it may come in handy if you're in a tight spot. Just take your time with the technique."

After an hour of practicing Hidden Power, Jet had them start sparring. Natalie wanted her Pokémon to spar with Jet's, so they paired up. Pugsly was teaching Psycho how to take a proper fighting stance and block a strike. Thorn was sparring with Eevee, who was trying his best to keep up with Thorn's speed. Jet had Hornet and Butters working as a team to go against Sora, whom Jet told not to take it easy on them.

For the most part Jet watched the battles, but stopped every now and then to add input on their techniques.

"Why do you think we spent so much time developing your string shot? Use it to escape into a nearby tree. Don't look at it as just a way for you to slow down your opponent. Use it for offense and maneuverability as well as defense."

Most of the day was spent either sparring or experimenting with different techniques. The next day was much of the same. They spent three hours doing strength training and the rest of the day technique training. Instead of sparring, however, Jet and Natalie went out to battle wild Pokémon and test their Pokémon's progress.

"There you go Butters, use your web to catch the opponent and slam it against the ground. It's a lot easier than moving all of those rocks, isn't it?"

By the end of the third day, both Hornet and Butters were at level eight. Hornet knew Poison Sting, Tackle, String Shot, Hidden Power, Horn Attack, and Poison Tail. The last attack Jet wasn't nearly as powerful as it should've been, but Jet focused on getting Hornet to learn the proper technique and worry about power later.

Butters learned Tackle, String shot and Hidden Power. Butters special attack was a lot higher than Hornet's, so his Hidden Power was definitely becoming an effective weapon.

In addition to these traditional attacks, Jet had taught them three custom moves that utilized their web abilities for offense, defense, and maneuverability.

The first of which was called Cobweb. This was a move in which the user builds up a web in their mouth, and releases it on their opponent. It takes a few seconds to build enough web fluid but the result is a sort of net that traps the opponent. It's actually a kind of charged version of string shot.

The second move is called Web-slam. The user simply catches its opponent with String shot, and uses the web as a tether to throw its opponent. This attack is very effective due to Jet's strength training methods.

The final move isn't so much of an attack as much as it's a way to move around the field quickly and effectively. It's a technique called Web slinging. As its name suggests, it was inspired by Spider-man's ability to move through a city by swinging from web to web.

It took a while for Hornet and Butters to get this technique to be effective, but once they learned it their evasiveness rose dramatically. Both caterpillar Pokémon were able to take down wild Pidgey in single combat using these three techniques.

On the third night, Jet and his Pokémon went to get some rest as Natalie and her Pokémon took the first watch. Psycho had fallen asleep in the first half hour. Eevee however, was wide awake and getting his belly scratched by Natalie.

She sighed into the night. Jet's Pokémon weren't very powerful, but their training allowed them to take out stronger opponents using superior technique. His Charmander was three levels less than her Eevee and yet Natalie got the feeling that its stats were much higher.

Natalie knew she couldn't fall behind, she needed to catch up. She hadn't even found a decent bug Pokémon yet. All they have found so far were caterpillar Pokémon and Pidgey. What she really needed was a Pinser. That would keep her in the competition.

Natalie heard a rustle of leaves and saw something big crawl by fast. She got out her flashlight and pointed in the direction of the intruder, and squealed when she saw a large Spinarak. Natalie backed up against the tree as the Spinarak crawled towards her, but Eevee got in between them and growled.

"Oh wait," she suddenly realized, "this is just what I need!"

She turned to Eevee and said, "Use Quick-attack!"

Eevee struck fast and hard. Spinarak was knocked into a nearby tree. It recovered quickly, however, and hit Eevee with Stringshot. Eevee growled, and Spinarak used the web to toss Eevee into the rock next to him.

"What the- that's one of Jethro's moves!"

The Spinarak then shot a web above it to a nearby branch, and climbed it to get the height advantage. "This thing moves just like Jethro's Pokémon except better, but it doesn't have any training! It's just _that_ naturally gifted! I got to catch it!"

Spinarak started spitting barbs at Eevee from its mouth. Natalie said, "Dodge its Poison Sting and head-butt the branch it's on!"

Eevee easily dodged Spinarak's attacks and knocked it off its branch. Natalie then said, "Get it with Takedown!"

Before Spinarak had a chance to react, Eevee's attack hit home.

Natalie said, "Finish it off with Hidden Power!"

Eevee began to glow, and it let out a strong, blue pulse of energy that hit Spinarak at point blank range. Spinarak had frost on its face from where the attack hit. Natalie threw a Pokeball and Spinarak was sucked in.

The Pokeball moved around six times before it broke open; Spinarak wasn't caught. Natalie gritted her teeth and said, "Use Headbutt!"

Spinarak tried to dodge, but was too exhausted from escaping the Pokeball. Eevee knocked it out with Headbutt.

Natalie threw another Pokeball. This time, Spinarak was captured immediately. Natalie picked up the Pokeball and grinned. She heard someone clapping and turned around to see Jet.

"Wow," he said, "Now that's how you catch a Pokémon."

**Author's Notes:**

**Just in case you're wondering:**

**-Eevee: Level 18, Hidden Power; Ice**

**-Psycho: Level 17, Doesn't know Hidden Power yet.**

**-Spinarak: Level 13, Doesn't know Hidden Power**

**-Thorn: Level 15, Hidden Power; Fire**

**-Sora: Level 11, Hidden Power; Wind**

**-Pugsly: Level 10, Hidden Power; Fist**

**-Butters: Level 8, Hidden Power; Wind**

**-Hornet: Level 8, Hidden Power; Poison**

**When Jet first got the TM for Hidden Power, He taught to all of his Pokémon, and to Natalie's Eevee upon request. I originally intended to write that in, but I forgot.**

**If you have any questions about the Pokémon's abilities or attacks, just ask in a review. I do actually keep track of who knows what. I don't make this shit up as I go along.**

**I originally planned for Natalie to catch a Pinser, though. I think Spinarak suits her more though. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review!**


	15. Natural Selection

Natural Selection

"Do _not _let him beat you!"

It was the fourth day of the contest, and Butters and Hornet were once again hauling rocks. This time, however, they were racing Natalie's Spinarak. Not only was it larger than other Spinarak, but it was better than Jet's bug Pokémon in every field. It was faster, stronger, more agile, and a better all-around fighter.

Jet didn't let anyone know it, but he was glad that Natalie had found such a well-rounded Bug Pokémon. Now, both Butters and Hornet had a real rival. It also helped that Spinarak was very cocky about the fact that he outstripped the caterpillars in every field. It mocked them and made them try harder.

"You mean to tell me after all the training you two went through you couldn't beat the newbie? Take another five laps!"

As they were nearing the end of the contest in three days, Jet decided to work his two Bugs harder than ever. He put them against Natalie's Spinarak in competitions that were grueling. Carrying boulder's, creating complex web traps, sparing while dodging Psycho's Water-Gun.

Natalie was working her Pokémon just as hard, even going so far as to have her Spinarak spar with Thorn, (Spinarak needed about three hours recovery from his bruises). They started to run into other trainers as well.

These led to some gritty battles. All of which were won by either Natalie's Spinarak or Jet's bug's, but there were some close calls. By the end of the fourth day, all of the bug Pokémon were sporting bandages and eating themselves sick of Sitris berries.

"I thought you didn't battle for less than five hundred, yet you did five battles just today for less than four."

"Huh?" Jet asked, while sharpening Hornet's tail with a stone, "Oh, yeah. That was just something I said because I didn't feel like battling at the time. I just don't battle for less than a hundred."

Jet got finished with the tail and told Hornet, "Go rest with Butters, you two did good today."

Natalie yawned and sat down next to Jet, "You know, I'll be glad when this contest is over. Not that it wasn't fun and all, but I could really use a shower."

Jet smiled, "That's the best thing about sleeping outside every night. Once you do take a shower, it's the best feeling in the world."

Natalie leaned against Jet, who in turn put his arm around her. They leaned back against a tree and just looked at the sky. Jet said, "When I was real little, I use to always imagine what it would be like to go out and catch my own Pokémon. Go on my own journey, see the world, all that jazz."

Natalie smiled, "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

Jet continued, "Then I got older and I lost sight of all that. That is, until I got a job working with Pokémon. Now I'm doing all the things I use to dream of as a kid. I'm glad I took a chance and left home. I wouldn't get to meet any of my new Pokémon otherwise. I wouldn't be lying here, stargazing in the Viridian Forest without a care in the world. I wouldn't be holding you."

Jet looked down at Natalie, who smiled and gently kissed him on the lips. She placed her hand his cheek and said, "I'm glad you left home too."

They kissed again, but were interrupted when Thorn and Eevee started growling simultaneously. Jet sat up, expecting a wild Pokémon. Instead, Derek the Bug Catcher had stumbled into their campsite.

Derek stared at them angrily and said, "You two again?"

Jet stood up, but Natalie grabbed his hand. "Don't fight, Jethro. Just let him pass through."

Jet looked at Natalie and said to Derek, "Well don't let me stop you."

Derek smirked and said, "It's a free country! Besides, you two have a nice little set up here. Clear ground to camp on, right by a pond, with Sitris tree's everywhere? I think I'd like to stay."

Jet was getting irritated, _He just wants to piss us off because Natalie spanked that ass!_

Derek evidently saw the irritation in Jet's face, because he continued, "Tell you what. I sold that Dustox that your girlfriend injured so I've got money to blow right now. How about we battle for it? If I win, I get the campsite and five hundred dollars. If you win, you get the money and I'll leave."

Jet smiled, "Sounds fair."

Derek smirked again, "This time, we use bug Pokémon only. More specifically, the ones you caught in this forest for the contest!"

Jet shrugged, "Fine by me, but why not make it a double battle?"

Derek looked annoyed, "What you and her ganging up on me?"

Jet laughed, "Hornet! Butters! Post!"

Immediately, Jet's bug Pokémon ran over and stood on either side of him. Both poised for battle, despite their bandages. Derek looked at them and laughed.

"No seriously? Those are what you're entering in the contest? What happened to you having 'badass bug Pokémon?' Hahahaha!"

Jet, however, said, "If you're too scared to face them just say so."

Derek stopped laughing and said, "Ok, a double battle is fine. But let me show you what kind of Pokémon the judges are looking for!"

Derek sent out a Ledyba and a Spinarak. Derek grinned, "Both of these were level fifteen when I found them. I'll tell you, I had to search long and hard for these guys. This forest doesn't carry a lot of strong Pokémon, so when they announced the contest I did some recon. Found out the hot spots where the stronger bugs like to hide. I had to borrow some of my father's Pokémon to catch them, but they are unmatched by the likes of your weak little caterpillars!"

Derek pointed at Jet's Pokémon and said, "You really are an idiot! You can't win this contest by just going in and catching the first bug Pokémon you see! You have to go deep into the forest, where others don't think to look. You got to catch them strong, that's what a real trainer does. It's like natural selection, only the strongest will survive!"

Jet turned to Natalie and said, "Are you going to start the match? I really want to shut this asshole up."

Derek stopped smiling. All of Natalie and Jet's Pokémon lined up to watch the match. Natalie said, "This match will be two on two. Last team standing wins. Are both trainers ready?"

Jet nodded, and Derek grinned, "This will be over quickly!"

Natalie said, "Begin!"

Derek said, "Spinarak, use Nightshade! Ledyba, use Superson- what the?"

Jet's Pokémon had already reacted at the word 'begin'. Both had used Cobwebs to trap the opposing Pokémon. Jet said, "Hornet, use Poison Tail on Ledyba! Butters; in the trees."

Butters shot a web to a nearby branch and zip lined to the trees above. Hornet used Web-sling to close the distance with Ledyba and stabbed it with its tail.

Ledyba screamed, and Jet said, "Keep at it until it's out cold, Hornet!"

Hornet hissed and stabbed at Ledyba repeatedly. Derek yelled, "Get out of there!" His Spinarak used it's stinger to get out of the Cobweb. As soon as it was free, it went for Hornet.

Jet yelled, "Butters, now!"

A Stringshot came from above and grabbed Spinarak. Jet called, "Slam 'em and bag 'em, girl!"

Derek yelled, "No!" But it was too late. Spinarak was being swung all over the place. It was slammed into tree after tree, screeching all the while. Then Butters pulled the Spinarak up and tied it to the branch tightly using the web.

Butters dropped to the ground and stood next to Jet. Hornet was already next to Jet as well, having already gotten finished with the bloody heap that was Derek's Ledyba.

"You were right," Jet said to Derek, "The match was over quickly."

Derek gritted his teeth and said, "It isn't over yet! Spinarak is still able to fight. Spinarak, use Nightshade!"

Spinarak calmed down and Butters began to wince and grunt. Jet told Hornet, "Break his concentration with Poison sting."

Hornet shot a poison quill up at Spinarak, who squealed and relented its attack. Jet sighed and said, "You still want to play? Alright, let's play! Butters, grab Spinarak's back end with Stringshot! Hornet, do the same with its head!"

They reacted with amazing speed for their stature. Jet then said, "Now let's play some tug of war!"

Spinarak squealed more than ever as the two Pokémon began to pull on his body. Jet called to Derek, "You can stop this match right now and spare your Pokémon's life. Your choice."

Derek gritted his teeth and yelled, "Don't let them get the best of you, Spinarak, use Nightshade!"

Jet sighed, "Have it your way then. Butters, Hornet, kill!"

Instantaneously, both Pokémon pulled with all of their might and ripped Spinarak in half. Blood spurted all over the field. Natalie gasped, Derek let out a cry of shock. Butters and Hornet, however, started glowing.

"What?" Jet was completely caught by surprised, "Are they evolving?" And so they had. Jet no longer had a Caterpie or a Weedle; he was now the proud owner of a Metapod and a Kakuna.

Jet heard Natalie say, "No fucking way! Did you plan for that to happen?"

Jet looked at her and grinned, "Nope, that's like a fucking magic trick right there! Who would've thought they would both evolve at the same time?"

Jet went over to his Pokémon and picked them both up, "You guys are fucking amazing! I'm so proud of you!"

They both clicked appreciatively, and Jet put them with the other Pokémon, all of which swarmed them to congratulate them. Derek was furious, "What about my Pokémon? You broke the wing of one, so I had to sell it. And then you kill my other two? I want payment!"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "_You_ want payment? Need I remind you that by law your Pokémon's safety isn't your opponent's responsibility! It's up to every individual trainer to know when their Pokémon's life is in danger and to stop the match to save them. I won, you loss. _You_ pay _me!_"

Derek's face got red. He let out a yell and ran at Jet while cocking back one of his fist. He swung, but Jet easily side stepped the strike and tripped him.

Derek was about to get back up when Thorn stood in front of Jet. Jet calmly said, "Thorn, make sure he pays me what he owes."

Thorn growled and snorted flames. Derek suddenly lost any bravery he had just had. Taking out his wallet he handed Jet a small stack of hundreds and said, "Five hundred dollars. That's half of what I got for Dusty. I hope you're happy, because of you the only Pokémon I have left is my dad's Koffing."

Jet started counting his winnings and said, "Not my problem." After confirming it was all there, Jet looked at Derek and raised his eyebrows, "Why are you still here?"

Derek grunted, and then stood up and ran into the night. Natalie walked up to Jet and said, "I always pegged you as kind of a geek, but you're a fucking badass!"

Jet blushed and said, "Oh, nah it's my Pokémon. Without them, I'm just a regular guy."

Natalie looked at the dead Pokémon right next to their camp and said, "Let's move somewhere else; this place is about to start stinking."

Jet nodded, "Good idea."

Jet recalled all of his Pokémon, saying that they deserved a rest. Natalie did the same and they packed all of their things and began the search for a new spot. The only Pokémon left outside was Thorn, as they needed the light from his tail. They walked together in the night around the pond. Both trainers decided it was best to stay by a water source.

They were almost at the other side of the pond when they saw something small and yellow drinking water from it. Jet stopped dead and said, "Dibs!"

As soon as the word escaped his mouth, the baby Pichu looked up and started running. Thorn wasted no time in giving chase. Jet followed and said, "Don't hurt him, Thorn!"

Natalie who was left behind, got out her flashlight and decided to set up camp. She erected her tent, put her sleeping bag in it, and event got a little fire started. It was another ten minutes before Jet returned with a big smile on his face. "Little guy was quick, but there aren't many Pichu in the world that can out run Thorn!"

Thorn growled proudly. Natalie smiled, "So you caught it then?"

Jet held out an occupied Pokeball. "His name shall henceforth be Spark."

Natalie smiled, "You and your god damn nicknames."

Jet sat down and leaned back against a tree. "I didn't think I'd actually find and electric Pokémon out here. I mean, there are Pikachu in this forest but they are very rare. Today was a good day."

Natalie shrugged, "Aside from those Pokémon dying."

Jet's smile faded, "Yeah, that _was_ unfortunate. But I think it's best not to dwell on things like that. Statistically it happens in one out of every twenty battles. Things just get intense sometimes. As long as my Pokémon are safe," Jet petted Thorn's head, "I'm not worried."

"Survival of the fittest, right?" Said Natalie, while cuddling next to Jet.

"Yeah," He said, while watching a Hoot-Hoot fly by and thinking of how his Pokémon evolved after the death of Derek's, "It's just natural selection taking place."

**Author's Notes:**

**Yeah, Pokémon die in battles. It happens fairly often. It isn't illegal for a Pokémon to die in a battle, but if you can help it you're supposed to throw the match before it gets that far.**

**What other trainers await our heroes? What other challenges will they face in the Forest? And is it just me, or are these little bugs getting more and more vicious?**

**Stay tuned!**


	16. Walter the Samurai

Walter the Samurai

"You know what, Jethro? I think we might be lost."

"I think you're right."

On the sixth day of the contest, Jet had cut the technique training short for the day so they could head to the Forest Lodge. All of his Pokémon seemed relieved to hear this. Natalie was simply beside herself at the idea of taking a real shower instead of using baby wipes.

Natalie sighed, "This is so stupid, why don't we just-"

Jet held out her hand to tell her to be quiet. Jet closed his eyes and listened. Natalie smiled, "I'm sure it was just the-"

But she was interrupted yet again, this time by a fat kid in a Samurai get-up sprinting at Jet with a katana. Natalie screamed; Jet braced himself.

He moved into the attacker and grabbed the handle of the sword. Using one hand he maneuvered the weapon in a safe direction, and elbowed his opponent in the neck with the other arm.

The samurai fell, letting go of the sword. Jet turned the blade so it was facing his opponent's neck. The attacker threw up his hands in surrender and coughed, "P-p-please do- *cough, cough* kill me, *cough, cough, cough*!"

Jet pulled the blade away from the samurai's neck and asked, "Why did you attack me?"

The samurai took a minute to recover. When he finally stood up he said, "I wasn't going to hurt you, I just wanted to scare you! I'm not a real samurai!"

Jet rolled his eyes, "No shit."

The boy adjusted his helmet and laughed nervously. Natalie asked, "Why the fuck are you dressed like a samurai anyway? Do you get something out of running at random passerbies with a fucking sword?"

The boy sighed and said, "This is my gimmick! I'm Walter the Samurai, of the Bug Catcher's Association!"

Natalie and Jet looked at each other. Just by looking in her eyes he knew she was thinking the same thing he was, _Is this douchebag fucking serious?_

"I-I'm here to challenge you, Jethro Brown, to a Pokémon battle!"

Natalie sighed and Jet once again knew what she was thinking, _He's serious._

"Umm, c-c-could I get my sword back p-please? It's real expensive!"

Jet looked at the sad soul that stood before him and laughed. "Let me see if I got this right! You are a Bug Catcher, who dresses like a samurai as a gimmick. You run around the forest in full armor and challenge people to battles by running at them with a katana. Now you just got your ass kicked and you're asking for your sword back? _How_ old are you?"

Walter went deep red, "I'm nineteen, and I come from a long line of samurai! My great grandfather was a mighty warrior!"

Jet laughed again, "I'm sorry dude, but… Come on! You don't go around attacking people with a fucking sword! Do you not comprehend that this is a dangerous weapon? Did you not see what happened when Kenny decided to throw shruiken while playing ninja with Butters? Why the hell were you looking for me anyway?"

Walter straightened up and said, "Almost four years ago you robbed me of my dream job. I should have gotten that daycare position and work with the great Professor Oak! You didn't even have any experience raising Pokémon! Now that you're here, I shall prove that I'm the better trainer!"

Natalie laughed and said, "What is he talking about?"

Jet pointed the Katana at Walter and said, "You're that one fat kid! I know you! You were in my school. I forgot you applied for that job. Ah Jesus, what was your name again?"

"It's Walter," said the samurai slightly flustered.

"Ah. Well, umm, _Walter, _if the job meant that much to you why didn't you just reapply?"

"Because my parents moved me to Viridian, that's why!" said Walter angrily. "If I had gotten the job then I could have stayed with my uncle Bob!"

Natalie chirped in, "This is the weirdest pre-battle dialogue exchange ever!"

"And then," Walter continued as if he had not heard Natalie, "I saw your video when you were attacked by that Horsea! That would've never happened to me!"

Natalie giggled and said, "Classic!"

"That video made it to Tosh.0!" Walter spat, "It served as a constant reminder of what you have taken from me! I'm here to seek redemption!"

Jet shook his head and said, "You know what? You impressed me, even if only just out of sheer randomness. I'll battle you, and the victor will get this katana!"

Walter looked flabbergasted, "That sword is not yours to bargain!"

Jet shrugged and said, "You attacked me with this weapon. At the very least you're looking at assault with a deadly weapon, let alone attempted murder. I could just keep this and go about my way, but I'll give you a chance to win it back. You think you're a better trainer than me? Put that claim to the test. Give the sheath to Natalie."

Walter hesitated, but decided it best to do as he was told. Jet gave Natalie the katana and said, "You will be the editor."

Natalie grinned and sheathed the blade. Walter and Jet stood apart from each other, giving enough space for a proper battlefield. Natalie gave the terms, "This will be a two on two battle. Each trainer will use only Bug Pokémon they captured for the Bug Catching Contest. Both trainers will be allowed to switch out either of their Pokémon at any time during the battle. The match will continue until both Pokémon on the opposing team are either unwilling, or unable to battle. Do both trainers except these terms?"

There was a simultaneous "Yes," from both parties. Satisfied, Natalie said, "Aaaand… Begin!"

Walter sent out his first Pokémon, "Go Metapod!"

Jet smiled and sent out Butters. Walter grinned, "Interesting! Metapod, use Harden!"

Jet sighed and said, "Use Slam!"

Butters used stringshot to get a hold of her opponent, and swung it into the air. But as quick as it went up, it was slammed into the ground even quicker. Walter yelled, "Metapod!"

Jet said, "Pull the enemy in and use Hidden Power!"

Butters started to glow just as it pulled Metapod toward it. As soon as the enemy was close enough, Butters let out a strong burst of energy that was type effective against her foe.

"Metapod, don't give up! Metapod?"

Metapod lay motionless. Jet said, "That Hidden Power is wind type. Your Pokémon is probably knocked out."

Walter sighed and recalled his Pokémon. "That's ok. My next Pokémon is going to win me the first prize in the competition anyway! Go Pinser!"

Jet watched as the envy of every Bug Catcher in the forest appeared before him.

Jet recalled Butters and asked, "Where did you find that?"

Walter grinned smugly, "They built a nest not too far from the middle of the forest. They're probably all caught by now!"

Jet sent out Hornet and said, "Well let's see if your Pinser is any good."

Walter yelled, "Pinser, use Seismic Toss!"

"Hornet in the trees, use Harden!"

Hornet used its web to raise itself onto a nearby tree branch where it used Harden. Walter said, "Most impressive, but Pinser is a tree climber himself! Go get him and use Vice-Grip!"

Pinser began to climb the tree surprisingly fast, Jet called, "Hornet, use slam!"

Hornet hit Pinser with stringshot and slammed him onto the ground. Pinser grabbed the web and did the same thing to Hornet.

"Oh wow," Natalie said, "He reversed it!"

Pinser started reeling Hornet in. Jet told Hornet, "Don't fight him, just use Harden!"

Hornet did as he was told and was pulled in even faster. Right before Pinser could use vice grip Jet said, "Hidden Power!"

But Pinser clamped onto Hornet. As Hornet's shell was Hardened, Pinser's attack wasn't doing much damage. Hornet started to glow and released a pulse of energy that caused Pinser to let go and stumble. Jet said, "Pin him, Hornet!"

Walter laughed, "Pin him how?"

But Hornet answered by using his Cobweb to pin Pinser's feet. Hornet then maneuvered to Pinser's side and trapped his arm. Using Stringshot, Hornet trapped every one of Pinser's appendages until it was lying face down, stuck on the ground.

"Pinser, escape, quick!"

Jet told Walter, "You should give up now before your Pokémon gets hurt."

Walter, however, yelled to Pinser, "Come on, get up, don't let them win! My sword is at stake!"

Jet sighed and told Hornet, "Get high above Pinser, and the use your web to enhance your Poison Tail like we practiced."

Hornet zip lined high up in the trees, its stinger emerging from its tail as it did so. Jet looked at Walter and said, "Last chance. Give in now."

Walter gritted his teeth and yelled, "Pinser! I know you are stronger than this! Now show me! Get up, and crush his Kakuna!"

Pinser let out a loud growl and struggled harder. Some of the webs began to pull up from the ground. Jet was impressed by its strength. Walter grinned, "That's it buddy! Huh?"

A stringshot hit Pinser's back. There was a low whistle and then a loud crack. Hornet had used stringshot to zip-line down from the trees. The force of gravity coupled with the speed Hornet gained by basically being slingshotted down from the top of the tree increased the power of his poison tail by ten times. Hornet's stinger went straight through Pinser's body, killing it.

Walter stood there in shock. Jet said, "Nice form, Hornet!"

Hornet began to glow, and from Pinser's carcass rose a large Beedrill. It hovered above its fallen opponent and flew over to Jet, who smiled. "Twice in one week, you're on a fucking roll!"

He put Hornet in its pokeball. Walter fell to his knees in disbelief, "You killed him. You killed my prized Pokémon. You killed him with a Kakuna. A _Kakuna!_ How?"

Jet walked over to Natalie and took the sword, "I train my Pokémon. You should start doing the same."

Walter looked up at Jet and said, "What do you mean?"

Jet sighed and said, "For most trainers, you're idea of raising a Pokémon is by battling it until it is at a high level. You take no time to highlight their strengths, improve their weaknesses, or refine their techniques. You don't know how to raise a Pokémon, and you definitely don't know its limits. Otherwise that," Jet pointed to the dead Pinser, "would've never happened. It's a real shame, that Pokémon had potential."

Walter stood up and bowed his head. "My Pokémon lost because of my incompetence. I thought that I was a good trainer, but now I see I am nothing but a novice."

Jet felt bad, not just for Pinser but for his trainer as well. "Walter, learn from this defeat. Next time you raise a Pokémon, know its limits."

Walter knelt down at his fallen Pokémon's head and removed his helmet. He placed it on the ground and said, "I think I'm going home now. There is no more need for me to be in this competition."

Jet suddenly heard a distant buzzing noise and the sound of someone running. Two teenagers ran from out of the trees and yelled, "Run! Runaway! We tried to catch one and then more came!"

They ran past the dead Pokémon without a second glance and ran into the trees. Jet watched as they disappeared and said, "Oookaay…."

Natalie tugged on Jet's shoulder and pointed above the trees to a swarm of Beedrill, "Yeah, we should run too."

**Author's Notes:**

**This chapter is a little short, but the next one is defiantly interesting. What do you do when you can't outrun a swarm of over thirty Beedrill?**

**Stay tuned, and please review! (A smiley face or frowny face will do!)**


	17. The Boy Who Fought the Hornet's Nest

The Boy Who Fought the Hornet's Nest

Walter, Natalie, and Jet immediately took off for dear life. Jet had never been more scared in his life, and was thoroughly convinced that he may die this day. They ran past the two Bug Catchers who provoked the swarm; they were now attempting to hide themselves in a nearby bush.

Apparently they didn't do a very good job at hiding, because thirty seconds later a bone chilling scream could be heard throughout the trees. Jet felt a sense of dread and ran all the more faster. He felt Natalie trip behind him and stopped to help her while Walter kept going.

"Nat, are you okay?" Jet asked as he helped her up. He looked up as he heard the buzz of a Beedrill diving at them with its stinger ready. Wasting no time, Jet pulled his new sword from its sheath and swung it with all his might. Natalie squealed as the Pokémon was halved.

Jet gritted his teeth, "It's no good! The others will be here soon, we can't out run them!"

Natalie looked at Jet with fear welling in her eyes. Jet took a deep breath and removed his belt. "Natalie, take my Pokémon and get out of here! I'm going to try to hold them off! Look for a place to hide!"

Natalie didn't move, "Jethro…"

Jet yelled, "We don't have time do argue! I don't want you guys getting hurt! Now get the fuck out of here!"

Natalie grabbed the belt with tears in her eyes. Jet readied his sword and charged in the direction of the approaching Beedrill. He found them hovering in an open field killing every living thing insight. From the curious squirrels, to the passing Caterpie; everyone was now their enemy. One of their number spotted Jet and flew straight at him.

Jet tried to take a stance that could be ideal for defending his vitals, but he felt his legs shaking uncontrollably. The Beedrill went in for the kill and Jet swung for dear life. His blade connected with the stinger and bounced off as if he'd hit metal.

"Damn, it's strong!"

Jet was put on the defensive as the Beedrill jabbed again and again, all the while knocking the katana away as if it were a child's toy. Jet was backing up and blocking as much as he could, but he was too outmatched. He tripped and fell backwards over a fallen tree branch. Beedrill took advantage of this and knocked the katana out of his hand.

It was just about to deliver the finishing blow when something scarlet red jumped over Jet's head and attacked it. Jet stood up in shock as Thorn ripped Beedrill's throat out with his fangs. Jet had never seen Thorn so vicious before.

"Hey," Jet turned around and saw Natalie calling to him. Beside her was Jet's Pokémon poised for battle. Among them were also Eevee, Psycho, and Spinarak. Natalie said, "Aren't you the one who is always talking about fighting as a team? You shouldn't sacrifice yourself without giving your Pokémon a choice on whether or not they want to fight!"

"You guys…" Jet didn't know what to say. He watched as Natalie's face dropped and turned around. The entire swarm of Beedrill was now aware of their presence and were hovering menacingly, ready for battle. Hornet flew in front of Jet and let out a loud buzzing sound. A large Beedrill with multiple scars on its body flew to the front of its troops and began to emit the same sound as Hornet. Jet didn't know what they were saying, but he had a feeling they were not going to get out of there peacefully.

Turning to his Pokémon, he said, "If this goes south I need you guys to be ready! Butters, Spinarak, Psycho, I need you guys to be the artillery. Stay in back and shoot down as many as you can! Sora, you are our air support. I need you to take out as many as possible from the sky.

"Thorn, Pugsly, Eevee, you guys are with me. We'll be the infantry. Spark, you don't really have any battle experience so I need you to stay with Natalie and protect her! If anyone comes near, aim for the eyes and take them down!"

Jet picked up his blade, just as Hornet started making threatening gesture to the Alpha Pokémon of the swarm. Jet told his team, "Get ready!"

Everyone tensed up. The Alpha apparently got tired with negotiations, because it made a stab at Hornet. It was pandemonium. There were a little less than thirty Beedrill against eleven opponents; two of which were human and one of which was a level five Pichu.

Thorn began to burn and tear his way through one after another. Pugsly actually got on a Beedrill's back and rode it around before tearing off its wings. Eevee was taking on two at a time while alternating between Sand attack and Hidden Power.

Sora didn't get a chance to attack at all. She had so many Beedrill chasing her that going on the offensive was impossible. Instead, she would out fly them and make them chase her into Butter's range of fire.

Spark was doing astoundingly well at following Jet's orders. Any time an enemy Beedrill would appear, the little guy would jump right up and gauge out its eyes. Afterwards, Natalie would drop a heavy rock on its head repeatedly to kill it.

The only one not pulling their weight was Jet. He had trouble taking on just one Beedrill at a time. He was constantly being saved by the artillery. Jet noted shamefully that the only good he was probably doing was distracting one Beedrill at a time so his team would have one less enemy to worry about.

Above him, Hornet was fighting for his life in an all-out death match with the leader of the Beedrill. Hornet was at a huge disadvantage due to the fact that he had only been trained for ground fights. Against an aerial veteran like his current foe, Hornet was getting his ass handed to him.

_As expected of a traitor to his race,_ said the Alpha Beedrill, _You are no match for me! I have fought against birds twice as strong as you! And each time, they have tasted the end of my stinger!_

Hornet didn't want to admit it but the Alpha was right. Hornet was accumulating wounds at a rapid pace. To make matters worse, his arms and wings were tired. He was simply no match. But he couldn't fail his master, not after all he's been taught! Not after he had finally reached his dream of becoming a Beedrill! Not after he had made so many friends, who were now fighting for a common cause!

No, he must remember his teachings. The one thing his master had always emphasized was to master the basics, for they were his greatest weapons. Thinking that it was worth a try, Hornet spit a stringshot into his enemy's eye and pulled hard. The attack worked, for Hornet had taken out his foe's eye.

_Nooooo! _Said the Alpha, _What have you done to me, you traitor?_

Stabbed his enemy in the abdomen and buzzed in his ear, _Now I'm the Alpha!_

Hornet's foe fell to the ground, and he let out a long buzz in triumph. The other Beedrill stopped fighting for a second when they saw their fallen leader. Suddenly they all started buzzing at once and flew toward Hornet simultaneously.

Jet yelled into the air, "Hornet! Noooo!"

Hornet started to glow as they came near, and released a powerful three hundred sixty degree pulse of energy that knocked all of his enemies back. Hornet had used up his remaining energy in that last Hidden Power, however, and passed out in midair.

Jet ran up and caught Hornet just before he reached the ground. It began to rain as all of the Beedrill hovered above Jet. All of his Pokémon ran over to surround him in a last effort to protect him and Hornet.

Jet's heart started to pound in his chest and he said, "Whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you guys and it was an honor to train with you."

Butters started to glow all of a sudden, and Jet watched in amazement as, for the second time that day, his Pokémon had evolved.

"Butters…" Jet whispered under his breath. Butters' eyes started glowing and the Beedrill all buzzed in pain as her all out Confusion attack started to take hold.

It wasn't enough, however, because they all dove at Jet in unison as a final assault. Jet closed his eyes but the attack never came. Jet opened his eyes when he heard Natalie say, "That's good Psycho, keep it up!"

Jet watched in amazement as the combined force of Butter's and Psycho's Confusion repelled the last nine Beedrill. They buzzed angrily as they made their retreat, leaving everyone to live to fight another day.

Both Butters and Psycho passed out from the aftermath of their last attack. Jet checked the vitals of the fallen Pokémon, "They're alive, but we need to get them medical attention. Walter said there is a Pokémon Center near the heart of the forest, we'll head there. We should recall everyone so they can get some rest."

Natalie gave Jet his belt back. He recalled his Pokémon one by one, thanking them all for their hard work as he did. The only one he didn't recall was Sora.

"Listen girl, have an important mission for you! I need to fly up high and find out which direction the Pokémon Center is in. It should be the only building toward the center of the forest."

Sora hooted and pushed her head against his affectionately, and then was off. Jet put his belt back on and smiled down at the pokeballs that was his team. He looked at Natalie and said, "Thank you fo-"

She slapped him, hard. "If you ever do some stupid shit like that again I'll kill you myself, understand?"

Her eyes had the sign of tears emerging. Jet said nothing but pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Jet wasn't sure how long he held her, but it felt like at least five minutes before they let go. Sora flew onto Jet's shoulder and pointed her wing in the direction of a big hill in the distance.

"Ok, girl, good job! Now get some rest, you fought bravely today!" Jet recalled Sora and told Natalie, "Let's go get some treatment for Psycho, Butters, and Hornet."

Natalie smiled and said, "I just realized, you named your Pokémon for their evolved forms when you first caught them! You were planning on evolving them for the contest all along, weren't you?"

Jet smiled, "I didn't know they would evolve so quickly but I figured they would evolve eventually. I wanted to give them a name that would make sense no matter what they became."

**XXX**

It was night fall by time they found the Pokémon Center.

"Your Pokémon don't look too damaged, we'll have them fully healed for you two in no time!"

"Thanks miss!" said Natalie to the receptionist. Jet and Natalie decided to get some food from the lounge before collecting their Pokémon and going up to their room.

In the lounge was the president of the Kanto Bug Catcher's Association from the news talking to a cop, "Yeah, we are going to have to shut the contest down. Two kids getting killed by a swarm of Beedrill; what a fiasco!"

Jet interrupted them, "Shut the contest down, after all I've been through?"

Both the cop and the president looked surprised to see Jet, "I'm not sure who you are young man but you are ill-informed of the situation! You see, a swarm of Beedrill-"

"I know about the Beedrill, I fought them! I heard those kids die! I was almost killed myself! And now you're saying I'm not getting nothing out of it? I smell a lawsuit!"

Both men looked shocked. The cop asked, "You were actually there?"

Natalie said, "You're damn straight we were there! Our Pokémon are getting their injuries healed right now! For god sakes, Jethro had to fight them with a katana!"

The cop turned to the president and said, "There was a katana at the scene. We were wondering about that!"

And so Jet and Natalie told the story of how they narrowly escaped being killed by a swarm of Beedrill. They were bought tea by the president, and were thoroughly interviewed. After the interview, it was decided that the contest would be canceled due to the deaths of two of the contestants. The president promised to reimburse all the trainers back for their money.

Natalie demanded more retribution under threat of legal action. And so it was that the president unwillingly wrote a check for five thousand dollars to Natalie for her troubles. Jet was able to convince the president to give him the first prize TM instead of a financial compensation.

"Bug Bite, huh?" Jet said when they finally reached their room with their Pokémon healed. "It figures they'd give me this TM."

"You should've taken the money," Natalie said, now in her PJ's.

"Nah, TM's are hard to come by. And this is a strong move for bug types, I'll teach it to Hornet and Butters tomorrow."

Jet went to go take a shower and relax in the hot water. He decided to take it easy on everyone for the next few days and just focus on training Spark.

Jet had not told his parents or his friends about what happened that day, but he did let them now that he was in the contest and that it got canceled.

After the shower Jet put on some clean under wear and a clean t shirt and got in the bed with Natalie. "God, I'm glad to just get some sleep in fresh clothes in a warm bed for once."

Natalie smiled, "Trust me I know the feeling."

She laid her head on his chest and said, "If you wake me up before ten tomorrow, I'll fucking kill you."

**Author's Notes:**

**Please Review!**


	18. Thundershock

**Author's Notes:**

**Thanks for the new reviews, glad to see people liking the story. I was originally going to have Butters use sleep powder to take out all of the Beedrill after Psycho dies heroically, but I like the Psyduck so I decided to keep him.**

**I'm actually surprised by how long it took to write out my little Viridian Forest story arc, but it's almost over. Very soon Jet shall arrive in Pewter City and begin a whole new bunch of adventures, but until then…**

Thundershock

"Hey Jethro, I brought you guys some food!"

It has been three days since the contest was canceled and the Viridian Forest was now strangely empty. The Pokémon Center was no longer full of the bustle of Bug Catcher's. There were no more run ins with random trainers wearing signature green jackets in the forest either.

Jet and Natalie decided to stay at the Pokémon center for a few days to rest, but that didn't stop Jet from training his Pokémon. He got Butters and Hornet to master Bug Bite.

Bug Bite was an attack in which the user focuses its energy, (the kind specific to bug type Pokémon), into its fangs or pincers and bites its opponents. Jet didn't think it would be very difficult to teach this attack on his own, but was thankful for the free TM anyway.

Jet has been having his Pokémon do light training for the past three days. Mostly, he had them practice their basic techniques. Every now and then they would do an hour of strength training or some light sparring. The one Pokémon who Jet did not go easy on, however, was Spark.

Jet had him wear Thorn's old binding brace for strength training. The first day Spark started by moving rocks from a to b. After that Jet had Butters shoot webs everywhere and Jet had Spark run on them while wearing binding brace.

He was also tasked with climbing, running laps, jumping to and from branches, anything Jet could think of to get Spark to hone his agility.

The second day was much of the same, but this time he had Thorn and Pugsly show Spark the basics of close quarters combat. So on top of strength training, Spark had to spar for three hours and scratch tree trunks all night. On the third day he did the same thing, but the binding brace was tightened to add more resistance.

They trained close to the Pokémon Center the entire time so they wouldn't have to camp out anymore. Natalie would often bring them food from the center and watch the training.

"So, why all this basic training? Why aren't you teaching him any electric attacks?"

Jet watched as Spark exhaustedly scratched Jet's make-shift punching post and said, "Because he's still young. Pichu this young tend to shock themselves when experimenting with electric attacks. I want to drill the basics into him so he has something to fall back on if he's in a battle and his electric attacks don't work for him.

"After we leave the Pokémon Center to head for Pewter, though, I'll teach him some good attacks. This way I can fight him against wild Pokémon to get his power level up."

And so, two days later, Natalie and Jet checked out of the Pokémon Center. Once they found a good clearing, Jet sent out Spark. "You're not going to need this for now," Jet said as he took off the binding brace, "Today we are starting your advanced technique training. You're going to stay outside of your pokeball for a while, as well.

"Now, every Pokémon has a special kind of energy that they can command at will. You can utilize your power into attacks and defensive techniques specific to your type. It's hard to put into words how to do this; usually you figure it out through battle experience. However," Jet pulled out his Hidden Power TM, "I know a way to give you the knowledge in a more direct way."

Jet placed the TM on Spark's head, and watched it take effect. After the information was imprinted, Jet put the TM away and said, "You've already seen some of the other Pokémon use Hidden Power, and now it's your turn. Bring out your inner strength!"

Spark used Hidden Power. It was, as Jet suspected, electric type. Jet measured the power of the attack by scanning it with his pokedex and smiled, "Good, you have a nice special attack; as is your nature. Now here is what I want you to do. Use the same attack, but keep the energy flow going until I say stop."

Maintaining Hidden Power for even a short period of time is no easy task. Jet had the rest of his Pokémon go through the same difficult training. It tires them out both physically and mentally very fast, but it teaches them to maintain an outward flow of energy and steadily increases their special attack. Natalie had her Psycho do the same training with Spark, as she felt that it would be beneficial in the long run.

When they couldn't do it anymore, Jet would feed them a large quantity of Sitris berries and water and make them it again. After an hour of this, they set off again. They would hike for two hours, train for one, and follow that pattern for the entire day.

By the time they stopped to camp for the night, Spark was exhausted. He had, however, gotten the hang of using Hidden Power. All the Pokémon were let out of their pokeballs. Everyone went to gather supplies such as food, water, and fire wood while Natalie and Jet cleared the campsite.

When everyone got back, Jet told Thorn, "You're not going to be setting the fire today, Spark is."

Spark looked up at Jet, confused. Jet smiled and said, "I know you don't like to use Thundershock because it hurts you, but try to remember what we practiced today. Concentrate on projected your energy outward. In this case, direct your power to this dry wood."

Spark nodded and sucked in his cheeks while building up energy. His cheeks started to spark, but then the electricity went inward. Spark cried out, "Chaaa!" and fell back.

Jet knelt next to his Pokémon and said, "You're not giving up that easy are you? When we get knocked down, what do we do?"

Spark looked up and then stood on his feet. Staring hard at the pile of wood before him, he took a deep breath. Jet said, "Now use Thundershock!"

Spark let out a small bolt of electricity that set the wood ablaze, but also knocked him back about five feet. The other Pokémon cheered him on and Jet held out his hand, "Don't worry about that. If you can just fight through the pain then we are going to practice all day tomorrow."

And practice they did. For the next couple of days, Jet had Spark battle against one wild Pokémon after another. Soon, Spark got the hang of using Thundershock; but unfortunately there was always recoil.

Sometimes, Natalie would want to train her Pokémon against Spark to help them better defend themselves against electric attacks. In these cases, Spark always lost. Jet told him not to worry about it, because all of her Pokémon were at such a high level.

Against the wild Pokémon, Spark was fairing much better. Many times, he could defeat the bugs without even having to resort to electricity. Jet always tried to get at least one Thundershock in with every battle, though.

During the morning times, it was strength training and agility training. During the day time, they would travel and battle wild Pokémon. At night, the Pokémon would spar among each other and practiced their techniques.

Jet felt they had a good system going, but was still relieved when they past a sign on a dirt road saying 'You are now leaving the Viridian Forest.'

"Finally," said Natalie, "Now we just follow this road to Pewter City!"

Jet smiled, "That would be nice."

As they walked it started to drizzle. Natalie sighed, "Ah great, just when I was feeling good."

"Excuse me!"

Jet and Natalie turned around to see a man in a small carriage being pulled by a Tyrogue. "You two headed down to Pewter?"

Jet said, "Yeah."

The man said, "Well you kids shouldn't be on this road right now, it's supposed to flood tonight."

Natalie groaned, "Just my luck!"

The man laughed and said, "Me and my wife own a bed and breakfast just down the road! Tyrogue can give you a ride if you want!"

Natalie looked confused, "Isn't that too much weight?"

The man shook his head, "Nonsense! Tyrogue here taxi's people up and down this road all the time. Put's money in my pocket and keeps him happy because he gets to train!"

And so Jet and Natalie went to the bed and breakfast. The got a room and decided to stay there for the whole night so they could shower and do laundry. The next morning was the first time Jet had a real breakfast in weeks. They were eating with the owner's and a couple of newlyweds.

"So you two spent three weeks in that forest?"

"Yup," said Natalie, "Three long weeks of training, training, and more training. I never knew being a professional trainer took so much work!"

The owner, David, said, "Ah yes. My nephew gave me Tyrogue as a baby so he could protect this place and he is a handful, let me tell you. I have to go down to the city once every two weeks just so he can battle some Pokémon and be happy. He's always moving things around, I don't know where he gets the energy!"

Jet asked, "Could I battle him today? Would you mind?"

Natalie kicked Jet from under the table. David said, "If you'd like. I'd prefer not to wager any money on the match though; I make my income the old fashioned way."

Natalie rolled her eyes and said, "You can't go one day without a battle?"

The newlywed girl said, "Oh, I like watching battles! I haven't seen one live in ages!"

So after breakfast, they all gathered in the front yard where there was a bit of asphalt to battle on.

"Ok kid, I'm using Tyrogue. What are you using?"

Jet sent out Spark. Natalie asked, "Aren't you going to send out Pugsly? You know, like types and all?"

Jet shook his head and said, "There is a reason I want Spark to battle Tyrogue."

Natalie shrugged and said, "I'll ref, I guess."

She gave the rules of the match and said, "Begin!"

"Spark, use Growl!"

"Tyrogue, use Tackle!"

Spark used his growl, but Tyrogue covered his ears and ran in for a tackle. Jet said, "Jump to dodge!"

Spark jumped just in time, but Tyrogue jumped as well and kicked Spark to the ground. Spark let out a cry but got up quickly. Tyrogue went in and started punching and kicking in rapid succession. Spark dipped and dodged well as he was trained to do, but Tyrogue was just too good.

"Spark, get out of there!"

But it was too late, Spark was taking too many body shots. Tyrogue's style was in no way refined, but his natural talent for fighting was too much for Spark.

Jet yelled, "Use Hidden Power!"

Spark used the attack immediately and blasted Tyrogue back. Tyrogue got up quickly, but winced as his hands started shaking; Spark's static ability was taking effect.

"Listen to Spark," Jet said as Tyrogue began to circle Spark, waiting to get the feeling back in his fists to strike, "You aren't a match for him physically, so you can't beat him in close quarters! If he closes the distance, you use Hidden Power, got it?"

Without taking his eyes off of his opponent, Spark nodded. Jet said, "Good, now use Thundershock!"

Spark shot a bolt of electricity at Tyrogue, but Tyrogue dodged it. After dodging it tried to get close enough for a kick, but Spark knocked him back again using Hidden Power. Jet said, "Don't stop, show him your Thundershock!"

Spark kept shooting one Thundershock after another at Tyrogue, but it dodged each one.

"Oh," Natalie said under her breath, "He knew Spark wouldn't be able to fight this opponent head on, so he's using this match to get Spark to use his electric attacks under pressure! And it's working! Those Thundershocks are getting better and better!"

Tyrogue closed the distance again, but this time Spark didn't have enough time to use Hidden Power. Tyrogue kicked Spark into the air and ran after him. Jet yelled, "That's enough! I concede!"

Tyrogue stopped and Natalie said, "What? You lost?"

Jet picked up Spark and told Tyrogue, "You won this match, I'm very impressed with your skill."

Tyrogue looked pleased and walked away. Spark looked up at Jet with sad eyes, but Jet said, "Don't be upset! You did amazing. And those Thundershocks you were cranking out? Very impressive! Let's get you healed up."

An hour later Jet had Spark completely healed. They were all in the house again. Jet told Spark, "Go congratulate your opponent on his victory, and be sure to thank him for the lessons you learned during the fight."

Spark did as he was told, and five minutes later both Pokémon ended up playing together outside. Natalie walked over to Jet and said, "That was smart, having Spark face Tyrogue."

Jet smiled, "Sometimes a person needs a rival to bring out the best in them." Jet went to collect Spark fifteen minutes later and they left the bed and breakfast. Together with Natalie, Jet left the Viridian Forest behind him and set off on the muddy road to Pewter City.

**Author's Notes:**

**Please review!**


	19. Welcome to Pewter City

Welcome to Pewter City

Natalie rested her head on Jet's shoulder in the back seat of the taxi. They looked at out the window at the city skyscrapers through the pitter patter of rain drops on the car window. Their driver, an older gentleman named Boris, talked on the phone to his wife the entire ride.

"I'm telling you Ellen, that dog has seen its best years, it's time to put him- oh hold on," He stopped the vehicle and turned to Jet, "the Pewter City Pokémon Center, that'll be thirty-seven ninety-five."

Jet thanked the driver and paid the cab fee, and headed into the Pokémon Center with Natalie. At the reception desk Jet asked, "Can I get a room, please?"

The guy behind the desk said, "We only have one bed available, is that fine?"

"Yeah," said Jet as he searched for his license and debit card, "One bed's fine."

After getting their room keys, Jet and Natalie headed up to get settled. "This shower is so nice!" Natalie said, "I could just spend the rest of the day here!"

Jet called in the bathroom, "Don't take too long, I want to get to the Gym before it closes."

After showering and unpacking, they took the train down thirteen blocks to where the Pewter City Pokémon Gym was located. The Gym was about three stories high, with boulders lining what looked like the entire perimeter.

The lobby on the inside was relatively small. It was decorated by big rocks just like the outside. There were several trainers in the inside the lobby talking about some big match they had just witnessed, "Did you see the way his Onix crushed that Gloom? Amazing!"

Natalie looked at a painting of a mountain landscape hanging on the wall and said, "These people really love their rocks."

The receptionist chimed in, "That's the specialty of this Gym! The leader has been raising rock Pokémon for years!"

Jet knew that a lot of Pokémon trainers usually have a certain kind of Pokémon that they specialized in, but he could never understand why. In his opinion, all Pokémon had potential to be great if one was to work with them. He also felt that having multiple types of Pokémon on your team was tactically more prudent than specializing in one type.

Waving aside these thoughts, Jet said, "I'd like to challenge the Gym Leader, please?"

Behind him, a boy said, "Ha! Yeah right! You're light-years away from facing Brock! You probably can't even beat me!" The boy looked to be all of about fifteen. He wore a superior looking smile that reminded Jet of Derek the Bug Catcher.

Jet turned back around and asked the receptionist, "So, about that Gym challenge?"

"Hey!" exclaimed the annoying camper kid, "Don't just ignore me like that! It's rude to turn down a battle challenge!"

Jet looked at the boy and asked, "What?"

The boy said, "Listen, I've been training my Pokémon at this Gym for weeks, and I wouldn't dream of challenging Brock! What chance does someone like you have?"

Jet raised an eyebrow, "Someone like me?"

"Yeah! Most of the challengers around here are hobbyist like you! Bug Catchers or local trainers who've one a couple of matches against your friends and think you can hang with us! We're serious trainers around here, pal! I've been coming here every day after school to train with serious trainers, who do this stuff for a living! You're just here to impress that girl you're with aren't you? Well if you can't beat me, then you don't stand a chance in this Gym!"

Natalie laughed, "How cute! The local trainer is calling you a hobbyist, Jethro!"

Jet smiled and said, "Since when did I become a bug catcher?"

Natalie giggled and said, "Umm, let's see… maybe when you caught Butters and Hornet then you became an honorary member!"

The boy said, "Are we battling or what?"

Jet sighed and said, "Fine, let's make this fast."

The receptionist said, "Let's see, since that's an official challenge from a Gym member, you can use the grounds out back for the match free of charge!"

"Oh joy."

They were led to the back, where there was a field about the size of a small playground filled with sand and rocks. There were a few trainers cheering on a couple of Geodude as they attempted to push each other out of a circle that was drawn in the dirt.

Jet's challenger asked, "How much do you want to bet on this match?"

Jet said, "One fifty for a two on two sound good?"

The boy's face fell, "A hundred and fifty dollars? Are you kidding?"

Jet laughed, "I thought you were a serious trainer? I thought you were a professional? Was I wrong?"

The boy's friends started instigating, "You gonna let him clown you like that?" and, "Kick his ass, dude! You about to make some money!"

The boy smiled and said, "One fifty it is, let's start! Go, Geodude!"

What looked like a boulder with arms appeared. Natalie said, "He's certainly anxious to start."

Jet smiled and sent out his Pokémon, "Let's go, Pugsly!"

Pugsly came out ready to fight. The boy's friends started laughing, "Pugsly? How cute, this guy actually nicknames his Pokémon!"

All of the trainers in the yard started to gather around the battle, saying, "Look, these two are actually about to have a real battle!"

Jet's opponent suddenly yelled, "Geodude, use Tackle!"

Jet said, "Hidden Power, Pugsly!"

Pugsly's attack hit first, and it was an instant KO. While Pugsly didn't have a strong special attack, the fact that his attack was strong against rock types doubled its power. Jet's opponent said, "No, Geodude get up!" When it didn't respond he grunted and said, "Return! That's ok, I got something for you! Go, Sandshrew!"

As soon as Sandshrew came out, Jet said, "Use Karate Chop!"

Pugsly closed the distance with a powerful Karate Chop to his opponent's neck. Sandshrew fell and swayed as it got back up.

Jet said, "Finish him! Low Kick and another Karate Chop!"

It happened remarkably fast. Pugsly floored his opponent with Low Kick, and knocked him unconscious with the final blow. The entire match was finished in four attacks delivered in less than a minute.

Jet's opponent looked stunned. Jet recalled Pugsly and said, "What was that bit about me training Pokémon as a hobby while you were hard at work making a career for yourself?"

The boy recalled his unconscious Pokémon and said, angrily, "You're hot, but not as hot as Brock!"

Jet rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Now about the money you owe me?"

Jet and Natalie found their way back to the reception desk. The girl behind the counter asked, "How did it go?"

Jet smiled and said, "Easy money. So, do I get to face this Brock guy now?"

The receptionist said, "I'm sorry but the earliest appointment I can give you is in four days; Friday at around four pm. But if you'd like to join the gym, you can train your Pokémon here in preparation for your match!"

"Pay thirty bucks just to train for four days, I think I'll pass. You can pencil me in for Friday though."

The girl smiled and said, "No problem! That will just be a three hundred dollar challenge fee, and whatever you want to bet in case you win!"

Jet and Natalie got back to the Pokémon Center some time later. Natalie smiled, "So, you have four days to train for the match, what's the plan?"

Jet shrugged, "I'll start training Spark tomorrow, he's the only one I think needs the extra training. Everyone else is right where I want them to be. Until then, how about a date night?"

Natalie grinned, "That sounds great! Where do you want to-"

"Jet? You're in Pewter City?"

Jet looked over; Amy Oak was standing in front of him.

**Author's Notes:**

**This chapter is really, really short. The next one should be longer, though. So Amy Oak is back! You didn't really think I'd leave her in Pallet Town did you? What tom-foolery will the gang get into? Find out in the next chapter!**

**Oh, and just a quick update:**

**Jet's Team-**

**-Thorn Lv. 20**

**-Sora Lv. 15**

**-Pugsly Lv. 16**

**-Butters Lv. 15**

**-Hornet Lv. 15**

**-Spark Lv. 12**

**Natalie's Team-**

**-Eevee Lv. 21**

**-Psycho Lv. 18**

**-Spinarak Lv. 14**

**Amy's Team (You'll meet them a couple of chapters anyway, so it's not really a spoiler.")**

**-Ivysaur Lv. 19**

**-Hoot-Hoot Lv. 11**

**And that's all for now. I'll post updates on their progress every few chapters. Notice how far Jet got in one month?**

**Oh and by the way, in case any of you are wondering why Thorn hasn't evolved yet. In my story the evolution level is just the average level they tend to evolve at, and the Pokémon can decide for itself when it's ready to evolve.**

**For example, I didn't have Jet's Caterpie and Weedle evolve until level eight, when they realized their strength. Then Hornet became so battle hardened that he evolved again at level twelve. Butters knew he was needed and stepped up to the plate at level 11.**

**I promise you guys this shit isn't random, I keep track of all this stuff. From their levels, the circumstances behind their evolutions, right down to their strengths, weaknesses, and attacks.**

**Let me tell you, we barely cracked the surface of this story. There are much more Pokémon to capture, attacks to be learned, battles to be fought, and adventures to be had. It's a long story to tell, possibly never ending! But I promise it will be a hell of a ride the whole way!**


	20. Night at the Pewter City Museum

Night at the Pewter City Museum

"Amy? Holy shit, what are you doing here?"

Jet immediately hugged her and gave her a peck on the cheek. Amy laughed and said, "Did you think that with you and Brian telling me all of these amazing stories that I'd stay home?"

Jet let go of her and said, "I thought you said the first place you were going when you left was Cinnabar Island? Why Pewter City?"

"Umm, because it's the rainy season in Cinnabar, and I wanted to meet up with you guys in Cerulean. I figured I'd head to Pewter and spend some time here before checking out Mt. Moon."

Jet smiled and said, "That's what I told Brian! Can't miss Mt. Moon for Chestnut fields!"

"Yeah, great minds think alike!"

Jet looked over and saw what looked like a slightly irritated Natalie and said, "My bad; Natalie, this is my friend Amy. Amy, meet Natalie!"

Amy smiled and said, "Hi, I've heard a lot about you! You're a lot prettier than I thought you were!"

Natalie put on an even bigger smile and said, "I know what you mean! From what Jethro told me I thought you would be an ugly lab geek but you're soooo cute!"

Jet was worried; both girls were using backhanded comments and smiling so wide that it had to be fake. He decided to steer the conversation into less dangerous waters, "So, how's the Professor doing?"

"Huh, Jet? Ohh… he's fine. I think he's trying to still trying to find out who's gonna replace us."

"You know, Amy," Natalie interrupted, "We were actually just going to check out the city, we'd _love_ for you to join us, wouldn't we Jet?"

Jet mumbled, "Uhh, yeah! You know, the more the merrier!"

In truth he wasn't exactly sure that he was comfortable with the idea of his two crushes hanging out together, but Amy had already said she'd be delighted so there was no getting out of it.

As they hit the mall, Jet reflected that the situation was worse than he thought. Both Natalie and Amy ended up getting along fine, which meant they spent the better part of two and a half hours shopping while telling stories and making jokes at Jet's expense.

"Oh my god, he went all the way up route one naked?"

"Yup! He got peed on by something in the woods and he thought it was my Eevee!"

Both girls laughed their asses off. Amy hit Jet in the shoulder, "How come you didn't tell me about this story, Jet?"

Jet simply went red, to which Natalie said, "Lighten up, you're always so serious!"

Amy turned to Natalie and said, "I know, right? When we were in school he would always focus so much on his work, we hardly ever got to hang out!"

Natalie sighed, "It's the same thing with his training; he needs to get laid!"

Amy giggled and said, "Oh, Jet! We should get you laid tonight!"

Natalie smirked, "I do believe he's blushing!"

Jet snapped angrily, "I don't blush!" But he knew that was a damn lie. He could feel his face getting hotter as both girls giggled.

"Oh, check this out!" Amy pointed to a poster, "The natural science museum is letting people in for free all week long!"

Natalie squealed, "Oh, we should go!"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "We could go anywhere in the city and you two want to go to a science museum?"

Natalie rolled her eyes, "I would've thought you'd be excited, _Poindexter!_"

Amy giggled and Jet sighed, "Fine, I'll call a cab."

"Please and thank you!" said Amy.

Twenty five minutes later they found themselves in the crowded entrance hall of the Natural Science Museum. There was mostly families there; parents trying to instill some knowledge into their loved ones.

The exhibits were plentiful. There were skeletons of prehistoric Pokémon, a miniature tornado, and a giant, walk in brain were just a few examples.

"Daddy, can I have a Pikachu? Annie from down the street has one!"

"Tyrell, no! We do not touch!"

"And here, class, is the dreaded Aerodactyl! Now an endangered species, these dragon-like Pokémon are a rare hybrid of rock and flying type!"

"Wow," said Amy, "This place is huge!"

"How about we go to the space exhibit?" suggested Natalie.

The three of them headed up to the second floor. There were planetary models there, along with old spaceship parts put on display. Jet was attracted to a display that held a fist sized moonstone behind glass.

"What I wouldn't pay for one of those," said Jet, "Evolution stones are extremely hard to find."

A fat guy with a Spock t-shirt and a long ponytail walked up and said, "It sure is something isn't it? One of the pieces from the original moon stone that the Clefairy came to earth in."

Without looking away from the stone Jet said, "Clefairy didn't come from the moon. That's a myth, like Trubbish was made from garbage and chemical waste."

"Or," Amy piped in, "that Slowpoke evolves into Slowbro when a Shellder bites its tale."

Natalie frowned, "That's a myth?"

Amy nodded, but the fat guy said, "Nuh uh, there is hard scientific evidence that Clefairy came from the moon! Why do you think they evolve when exposed to the moon stone?"

"Because the type of energy the moon stone gives off reacts to Clafairy's natural energy and acts as a catalyst for its evolution. The same way it reacts with Nidorino and Munna. That doesn't make them space aliens now does it?" Jet said in a condescending monotone voice, as if he were trying to explain long division to a six year old.

The fat guy started to get angry, "If you go online there are all kinds of scientist that say Clefairy come from the moon!"

"And there are far more intelligent people who know that Clefairy couldn't possibly survive on the moon's atmosphere," said Jet without raising his voice, "It really is just an old wives tale."

"Pfff," said the fat guy, "They said Galileo was wrong! They condemned Copernicus! You just have a closed mind!"

Jet shrugged, "If you say so, big guy." He turned to Natalie and said, "Want to get some food?"

And so they walked away, leaving the fat guy pissed off in their wake. Natalie asked, "Did you really have to argue with that guy? Does it really make a difference where Clefairy came from?"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "As many times as you started arguments with me just out of boredom, and you're going to tell me off?"

Natalie opened her mouth and then closed it, "Good point."

Deciding it would be far cheaper to take the subway instead of another cab, the Natalie, Amy, and Jet went to go get tokens. Once at the subway, Natalie said, "Ugh, I hate these things. They always smell like piss or puke."

Amy asked, "When does the train get here anyway?"

Jet said, "I think it does twenty minute loops, so I guess we just have to wait."

They walked pass three guys leaning on a wall and smoking a blunt. One of them said, "Damn, what are two fine pieces of ass like you doing down here?"

His buddy said, "Aye baby, why don't you ditch the kid and get with a real man!"

Jet turned to look at them and the biggest of them said, "What the fuck are you looking at?"

Jet's heart started beating with both anger, and apprehension. Amy pulled Jet away and said, "Don't worry about them Jet, just ignore them."

Jet turned away and one of them said, "Yeah that's right turn around!"

"You two can have the brunette; I want the little red Lolita. Love to get me some of that fire crotch!"

At this, Jet dropped any apprehension he had before, and exploded in pure anger. He ran at the three thugs, one of which reacted immediately and came at Jet as well.

Natalie yelled, "Jethro, no!"

But it was too late. Jet had ran on a bench and jumped off, grabbing the first guy's head and slamming it into his knee as he did so. The Jet felt the man's nose break when it made contact with his knee. The man dropped; he was out cold.

The other two howled with rage and came at Jet. Jet ducked the first one's right and hit him with a right hook. The second one had swung at Jet from behind and hit the side of his neck.

Jet stumbled for a second, but soon regained his balance and started fighting. He ducked, swayed, and then struck at his enemies one at a time. Every time he knocked one down, the other got back up.

One of them got behind him and held his arms. The other got up and said, "You little shit!" as he went in for the attack. Jet hit him in the face with a front kick and knocked him backwards. Jet then head-butted the guy holding him with all his strength. The man loosened his grip and that was all Jet needed.

He pulled away, pivoted, and then hit the thug with a straight left. The man was knocked back so Jet took advantage and went in. He swung at the man's body, then his face, then a knee to the groin, and an elbow to the side of the head. The man dropped like a rock.

Behind Jet, his last opponent stood up. _One to go._ Jet went straight in with a jab. The last guy dipped the attack and punched Jet under his eye. The punch hurt, but Jet rolled with it and got his stance back. Jet hit his opponent with a three piece; two left jabs and a hard right.

The man stumbled back, but then pulled himself up and charged at Jet. Stepping into the attack, Jet pivoted at the last second and hit the man on the back of the head with a reverse elbow. He dropped, and this time he didn't get back up.

Jet heard the sound of the train approaching and walked back over to Amy and Natalie, "C'mon, we don't want to miss the train."

Natalie got angry, "What if one of those guys had a knife?"

Jet rolled his eyes and said irritably, "They didn't."

Natalie glared at Jet and the train pulled up. "Let's go guys," said Amy, "I want to get out of here."

On the train, Jet purposely sat away from the girls and avoided eye contact. Natalie was about to call him over, but Amy shook her head, "I think he's still angry at those guys, and he doesn't want to be around us when he's like this."

Natalie frowned, "Why does he keep doing dangerous shit like this? Doesn't he know he could get hurt?"

Amy gave Natalie a small smile, "You really care about him, don't you?"

Natalie looked at Amy and said, "So do you."

Amy smiled and said, "I've always kind of had a crush on him, but I swear to god he is the most oblivious guy I ever met."

Natalie smiled, "Yeah, that's Jethro. Intelligent beyond reason but completely clueless, all in a measure."

"So," Amy started, "Are you two together?"

Natalie looked down for a second and said, "I don't really know. I mean, I have feelings for him and everything, but we haven't really talked about it since after we first kissed. Why?"

Amy shrugged, "Just asking. You should tell him how you feel." When Natalie didn't say anything, Amy added, "Oh, and if you hurt him I'll beat your ass. Just a fair warning."

Natalie smiled and said, "You lab geeks sure are feisty!"

Amy grinned back, then looked at Jet and said, "You know, he's always been a fighter. This one time he battled a Horsea single handedly, just to give it a bath. There was another time when him and Brian got into a fight at this concert; I heard they took on nine guys at once and walked away without a scratch. I think it's his fighting spirit that makes him such a great trainer. He knows how to connect with Pokémon because deep down, he's a fighter too."

Natalie nodded and said, "Yeah, I've noticed that about him."

When they all got off the train Jet said, "I'm sorry I lost my temper back there. I haven't been that angry in a long time."

He had a busted lip and a lump under his left eye. His knuckles were badly bruised as well, and they were still bloody. Natalie went in her purse and pulled out some ointment, "Here, Jethro. This will help your eye heal quicker."

He stood there and waited as Natalie gently treated his wound. She then asked, "Where did you learn how to fight like that, anyway?"

Jet said, "Uh, my dad was a street fighter when he was a younger. He specialized in boxing and Muay Thia."

Natalie asked, "What's Muay Thai?"

"It's kind of like a special kind of kick boxing that emphasizes the use of elbows and knees. It was originally designed to kill armed opponents in times of war."

"Oh," said Natalie.

Amy said, "You seem real good at it."

Jet shook his head, "I only seemed good because I was fighting untrained opponents. If I was going against someone who knew what they were doing, I'd get my ass kicked."

Natalie punched Jet in the arm and said, "Then stop trying to kill yourself by fighting all the time!"

Jet smiled and kissed Natalie on her forehead, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Amy felt a twinge of annoyance when Jet kissed Natalie. Deciding it best to just leave the matter be, she smiled and said, "Let's go get some food. We still have a whole city to explore!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Yes, I know that Clefairy do come from space in the anime. Yes, I know that Slowbro is basically a fusion between Shellder and Slowpoke. But I don't give a shit, in my story those are myths, because they just seem stupid to me.**

**Next chapter gets interesting as Natalie and Amy decide to have a little friendly battle while Jet's out training for his big match with Brock, so stay tuned!**

**And as always, Please review and let me know what you think!**


	21. A Friendly Rivalry

**Author's Notes:**

**Eevee in this chapter knows some attacks that he shouldn't know at his level. I'm just going to chalk that up to good breeding. After all, There isn't really a minimum level to learn an attack, if you can learn it then you can learn it! Anyways…**

A Friendly Rivalry

Jet had set his phone on a silent alarm around six am, so he wouldn't wake the girls. He got up quickly and quietly and started getting dressed. He had been sleeping on the floor while both Amy and Natalie took the bed. The reason behind this was that there were no more rooms left for Amy and it was much too expensive to have her stay in a hotel.

Jet had gotten ready and grabbed his belt. He looked over and saw the two girls sleeping and smiled to himself. Amy had a terrible case of pillow hair, and she drooled while snoring lightly. Natalie, on the other hand, was mumbling in her sleep, "No, the other one. But I don't want to!"

Jet silently put on his belt and left the room. As soon as he shut the door, Amy woke up and said, "Huh, what time is it?" Beside Amy, Natalie mumbled sleepily, "Go back to bed, Jethro. Give me fifteen more minutes."

Deciding there was no trouble afoot; Amy laid back down and went to sleep.

Jet had taken the bus to a park that was ten minutes from downtown. It was a small park that looked as though its best uses were for barbeques and dog walks, but Jet figured it would have to do as a training ground. He sent out all of his Pokémon and had them line up.

"Ok guys, this is the big one. In four days we are going to challenge the Pewter City Gym for its badge. From what I hear, our opponent is no push over."

Jet paused for a second, and then continued, "We've been through a lot together; all of us. We've all had our fair share of hard fights. This Gym's specialty is rock type Pokémon. Aside from Pugsly, no one here is really suited to take on this type."

Jet scratched his head and said, "I've been thinking up strategies all night in order to be prepared for anything this guy might throw at us, so that's mostly what we are going to be doing for the next couple of days; strategizing."

Jet turned to Spark and said, "I might have you battle some local trainers to get your level up over the upcoming days, so be prepared. Your strength will be your agility."

Spark nodded nervously, and Jet turned to Pugsly, "We are going to be relying on you a lot during this match, so practice your techniques and get ready to shine."

Pugsly pounded his chest fiercely. Jet turned to Thorn, "Your Metal Claw will be a secret weapon, so I'll need you to focus on maneuvering and strengthening that weapon."

Turning to Butters, Jet said, "I'm going to need you to be quick, try not to get hit. Your Confusion could prove to be invaluable, though."

To the last two, Jet said, "If we do fight rock type Pokémon, then you two will be at a disadvantage. We are going to work on strategies to keep you guys from getting hurt."

And so, the training began. Jet had his Pokémon focus on mostly maneuvering; having them use their agility to get around their opponents defenses and striking hard. Watching his Pokémon work, Jet realized that he had never been more nervous before a match before, and was determined that his Pokémon would make it out of this alive.

**XXX**

Back at the room, Amy had just got finished getting dressed, "So, Nat, what are we doing today?"

Natalie was putting on her sneakers, "First thing's first, let's get some food."

And so the girls found a café right down the street from the Pokémon Center, and got to know each other better.

"So, you worked with Professor Oak, too?"

"Well, yeah," said Amy, "He's my grandpa."

Natalie raised her eyebrows, "Seriously? You have a famous Grandpa?"

Amy laughed, "Yeah, I live with him and my mom. My parents got divorced when I was younger, so my mom moved with me to Pallet Town, and we've been staying there ever since."

"Oh," said Natalie, "Got any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah, but my brother Gary lives in the Johto with my dad. What about you, any brothers?"

Natalie rolled her eyes and said, "Three of them, all older. They're all off at college, but growing up with them was a nightmare. My oldest brother is a trainer. He's the one that made me get my license. Paid for it and everything."

Amy smiled, "Growing up in my house, raising Pokémon is like, mandatory."

"I bet," said Natalie, "My last ex was a trainer too. He used to do all of these underground battles and just crush everyone. He used to always buy me whatever I wanted with the prize money, but he was a cheating asshole so I had to let him go."

Amy sighed, "Been there."

Natalie chewed a piece of toast and said, "He was supposed to get his own Gym from his dad, but the Viridian Gym closed down so I bet that probably pissed him off. What about you? How's the love life of Amy Oak?"

"Ehh," said Amy, "Broke up with my boyfriend, Brett, like two months ago. Haven't really met anyone else I'm interested in. Brian use to have a crush on me, but I don't really like him in that way."

Natalie said, "What about Jethro?"

"What about him? I thought you two had something going on?"

Natalie shrugged, "I don't know about that."

Amy frowned and said, "In any case, you two make a cute couple. You should talk to him."

After their breakfast, Natalie and Amy started window shopping at the many shops that were available down town. After a while, they came upon a crowd of people in front of a fountain looking up at the sky. It was there that the girls saw a Pidgey and a Spearow doing battle.

"Spearow, finish him off with Peck!"

"Pidgey, dodge it and use Tackle!"

The Pidgey dodged Spearow's attack and went in for a Tackle. The Spearow, however, flew out of the way just in time. Pidgey was obviously not that talented a flyer, because it Tackled itself right into the ground.

"Ah, Pidgey! No!"

The trainer's cries fell on deaf ears. The Pidgey was now unconscious, and the Spearow circled overhead victoriously. The crowd applauded the spectacle, and both Pokémon were recalled. Amy turned to Natalie with a big smile and asked, "You wanna have a battle real quick?"

Natalie grinned and said, "Hell yeah!"

Someone from the crowd said, "Hey, another battle!"

Suddenly the crowd shifted its attention as both Natalie and Amy pulled out their pokeballs. Amy said, "How about the loser buys the winner lunch later? And two on two sound good?"

Natalie said, "Sounds perfect! Go, Spinarak!"

Spinarak was sent fourth, and a boy from the crowd yelled, "Eek, a Spinarak!"

Amy grinned and said, "Let's go, Hoot-hoot!"

The owl Pokémon came out and hooted excitedly, its wings flapping with enthusiasm.

"Hoot-hoot, use Peck!"

"Spinarak, use slam!"

Spinarak used stringshot and threw Amy's Hoot-hoot like a stuffed owl. The crowd ohh'd and ahh'd. Amy thought to herself, _Using its web for an offensive attack? Clever! Not bad, Nat, Not bad at all._

"Now use Cobweb, Spinarak!"

"Cobweb?" Amy asked. But she was answered when Spinarak shot a web net from its mouth and trapped her Hoot-hoot. Amy groaned and said, "Hoot-hoot, return!"

Natalie smiled and said, "You thought you had me with a flying type, didn't you?"

Amy sighed and said, "You're better than I thought. But that Hoot-hoot hasn't really been trained, let's see how you handle one who has. Go Ivysaur!"

There were a couple of gasps from the crowd at seeing a rare Pokémon sent out to battle. Natalie said, "Oh wow, nice!"

Amy said, "Ivysaur, use Leech seed!"

"Spinarak, use Bug Bite!"

A seed was launched from Ivysaur's back and hit Spinarak. As soon as it made contact, vines burst out of the seed and wrapped around Spinarak's body. Ivysaur then started to drain Spinarak's energy through a thin vine that connected the seed to his back.

"Spinarak, use Poison Sting!"

"Ivysaur, use Body Slam!"

Ivysaur dodged his foes Poison Sting and hit him with a hard Body slam. Spinarak tried to recover but the Leech Seed was still sapping his energy. Natalie said, "Spinarak, return!"

After recalling Spinarak she sent out her Eevee and told him, "Watch out for that Leech Seed!"

"Ivysaur, use Vine Whip!"

"Eevee, use Quick Attack!"

Eevee's attack struck first, but Ivysaur took the blow and delivered his own. He used his Vine Whip to strike Eevee first, and then he used Wrap to trap him.

"Good job, Ivysaur, now slam it!"

"Eevee, use Hidden Power!"

Eevee was lifted in the air by Ivysaur's Vines. He used Hidden Power to great effect; not only did it free him from his foe's wrap, but he frosted the vines, numbing them.

"Ok Eevee, use Takedown!"

"Use Takedown, Ivysaur!"

In terms of pure force, Ivysaur had the advantage. Both Pokémon attacked head on, but Eevee was the one knocked back. Not that Ivysaur didn't take any damage; he immediately had a large lump on his head.

"Ok boy, let's finish this! Use Sleep Powder!"

"Eevee, don't breath it in!"

Ivysaur expelled a purple mist at Eevee, but the latter jumped over the attack and landed behind Ivysaur. Once behind him, Eevee bit Ivysaur's hind leg with all of his might.

Ivysaur yelled and bucked until Eevee was sent flying. Natalie said, "Good job, boy! Keep it up!"

Around them the crowd was applauding, "Wow, this battle is much more entertaining than the last one!"

"Ok, Eevee," Natalie said, "Use Quick Attack!"

"Growl, Ivysaur!"

Ivysaur let out a powerful Growl that made the surrounding crowd cover their ears. The force of the Growl lessened the power of Eevee's Quick Attack, so Ivysaur took less damage.

"Ivysaur, Body slam!"

"Dodge it, Eevee!"

Eevee rolled sideways out of the way. After dodging, Eevee went in for a Tackle, but Ivysaur butted heads with Eevee and it became a power struggle.

"Use Hidden Power!"

Natalie's Eevee once again used his ice type Hidden Power, which knocked his opponent back and made him flinch.

"Now Tackle, Eevee!"

"Dodge and use Vine Whip!"

Ivysaur pulled off a daring dodge, and struck Eevee with Vine Whip. This time, however, he didn't wrap his opponent for fear of his Hidden Power.

"Eevee, use Takedown!"

"Body slam, Ivysaur!"

Ivysaur jumped up, and Body slammed Eevee to the ground. Amy called, "Again!" and Ivysaur jumped up and struck again, causing Eevee to cry in pain.

"No, Eevee! Use Hidden Power!"

But Eevee couldn't muster up the strength.

Amy said, "Again!" and Natalie quickly recalled Eevee before he could receive any more damage. Natalie said, "You win, I owe you lunch."

The crowd applauded as Amy recalled her Ivysaur. Both girls shook hands and Amy said, "That was a great match! I'm a little surprised! Your Pokémon really are something else."

Natalie smiled and said, "That Ivysaur of yours is strong! That was the first time my Eevee ever lost a match. Well, aside from when he used to spar with Jethro's Charmander."

They spent the rest of the day hanging out and didn't get back to the room until about seven. When they got back, Jet still wasn't there. He didn't return, in fact, until around ten thirty.

"Where the hell have you been?" Natalie asked.

"I found out where the local trainers around here like to hang out. I've been battling Spark and Pugsly all night. Made a hell of a lot of money."

"Spark and Pugsly?" Amy asked.

"My Pichu and my Mankey. I'm getting them ready for my match against the Gym leader. I think I'm going to branch out and battle my other Pokémon as well, just to keep them sharp. What did you two do today?"

"Oh, you know," said Amy, "Shopping and checking out the city, nothing special." Natalie looked at Amy and smiled.

**Author's Notes:**

**So Amy and Natalie are becoming friends while Jet's away training for his big match. Next chapter will see his first Gym Battle. Will Pugsly be able to handle Brock's rock types single handedly? Will Jet's other Pokémon be able to hold their own? Stay tuned to find out!**

**And, as always, please review!**


	22. Brock

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you so much for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

Brock

Rasheed Nervously stepped up for the next match, which was a one on one. His opponent; a white kid from out of town with brown hair and matching eyes. This guy has been cleaning up every night for the past three days; his Pokémon has never been beaten.

The stakes were high; Rasheed had three hundred riding on this match. Plus, his girl was watching. There was no way he was going to lose to this kid, the one everybody called Jet.

The editor of the match said, "Ok, for the pot, both trainers send out their Pokémon!"

Jet pulled a Pokeball from his waist and sent out a Pichu, that he called Spark. Rasheed only had three Pokémon; two Spearow and a Pineco. It wasn't exactly a difficult decision who he should send out.

"Let's do it, Pineco!"

The editor called, "Begin!"

"Pineco, use Takedown!"

"Dodge it and use Thundershock!"

The Pichu was much too fast; it jumped out the way and sent a torrent of electricity at Pineco before he was halfway to his target. Pineco let out a shrill cry after being zapped.

"Spark, hit him with another Thundershock!"

"Pineco, use Protect!"

But Pineco was apparently paralyzed, as it only shivered before it was hit with the second wave of electricity. Once hit again, Pine co dropped, unconscious.

"Pineco is unable to battle, Pichu is the winner!"

Jet smiled and recalled Spark, "Time to call it a night." He went up to the ref to collect his winnings. One of the trainers in the crowd said, "I got one twenty five that says my Rattata can beat that Pichu into a bloody pulp!"

Jet took his money and said, "I'm done for the night, maybe next time."

He walked through the crowd to the exit, while a bunch of trainers were spouting out challenges. "C'mon, me and my Geodude can take you!"

"How about a three on three? I'll bet my great ball if you can put up six hundred?"

"This guy's Pichu is no match for my Metapod!"

Jet left the lot where all of the local battles were being held and set off for the Pokémon Center. Over the past three days, Jet had been able to grow all of his Pokémon to level sixteen. The only exceptions were Pugsly, who was now level eighteen, and Thorn, who was currently at level twenty.

More importantly, the favorite Pokémon of Pewter City seemed to be Geodude. Jet had gotten a chance to have all of his Pokémon test their training against rock types. He was thoroughly convinced that his Pokémon were as prepared as they were ever going to be for this match in a matter of three days.

After healing his Pokémon at the infirmary, Jet headed up to his room to get some sleep for the match that would take place the next day. Amy and Natalie were still out watching some movie about some natural disaster.

Jet showered and laid on the floor with his sleeping bag and pillow, and found his sleep riddled with nightmares about his upcoming match. By the time he woke up, he felt his heart racing.

The whole day he avoided conversations with Natalie or Amy, and instead focused on going over various strategies. _As long as he doesn't send out a high level Pokémon, then I'll be fine._ But then a little voice in the back of his head asked, _What if he sends out a Golem? Or a Steelix? Or an Aerodactyl or some shit? I mean, he is a Gym Leader!_

Jet didn't feel like eating, but the girls forced him to, anyway. "Here Jet, have some pancakes, they're amazing!"

"Jethro, eat my sausages! I don't like the turkey ones!"

The clocks seemed to speed up; no matter how much Jet wanted them to slow back down. Soon, it was time to leave the Center and head for the Gym. At this point, Jet had felt as if all of his internal organs had simply disappeared.

They were in front of the Gym; Jet wondered if either of the girls could see his legs fidgeting. They were at the service desk; was it healthy for a human heart to beat this hard?

"Ah yes, right this way Mr. Brown, the Gym Leader will face you at the main battle area."

As they walked through the hall way Jet noted just how much he had to go piss, but now was not the time. Now was the time to hold his head up and face his new and powerful opponent. Now was the time to see if he could squeeze blood from stone.

The main battle area was about the size of a basketball court. On the sides, were bleachers filled with people. Most of them, Jet saw, were local trainers from the battle lot. The ground was made up of dirt, sand, and rocks. The ceiling was high.

On either side of the field were platforms that the opposing trainers were meant to stand on while their Pokémon did battle. Jet was more nervous than ever now. The fact that people were watching made things about ten times as bad. Jet had always had stage fright; he didn't even like getting his picture taken!

A man walked toward them accompanied by a young kid wearing glasses and carrying a clip board. The man stood at about six one, with tan skin and spiky brown hair. He dressed in cargos with hiking boots and a brown t shirt. He wore a necklace with a charm that looked like a boulder. There was no doubt about it; this man was the Pewter City Gym leader.

Natalie looked surprised when she saw him, "Brock? What are you doing here?"

The Gym Leader looked dumbfounded, "Nat? What are you doing at my Gym? Why didn't you call?"

"_Your_ Gym? You're the Gym Leader of Pewter City?"

Amy chimed in, "I'm confused."

Natalie said, "Amy, Jethro, this is my ex; Brock."

Jet felt his heart sink, _No fucking way!_

Amy said, "Oh." And Brock walked up and took both of Amy's hands in his, "I've missed you so much! I tried to get in contact with you-"

"But I changed my number?" Natalie finished for him, "Yeah, I'm well aware of that."

"But Natalie," Brock pleaded, "I'm a changed man. I know I've been an idiot! I let the best thing in my world slip away when you left me! Please Nat, please forgive me?"

Natalie looked away and said, "Please, can we not do this right now? I'm just here to watch the battle."

"Battle?" said Brock, "Oh, I clear forgot!"

Brock looked at Jet and asked, "Are you the challenger?"

Jet nodded. Brock turned to the kid with the clipboard and said, "Cliff notes!"

The boy pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked at his clipboard, "Jethro Brown, a trainer from Pallet Town. He used to work for Professor Oak at his research center. He's had a license to train for years, but got his first Pokémon only a month ago when he got his Class A. Since then he hasn't registered at any Gyms or competitions, other than a Bug Catcher Contest a couple weeks ago that was canceled due to the death of two contestants. He currently owns eight Pokémon."

"A Class A bug catcher, huh?" Brock looked at Jet and smiled, "Listen," he said in a kind voice, "The fact that they'd give kids like you a Class A license without any real battle experience is a real disservice. You've only been out doing your thing for what? A month? Do you know what I've been doing the past month?

"I've been put in charge of a Gym. Do you know what I've done before that? I was a champion underground trainer _and_ an accomplished breeder. You may have won a few battles against the locals but _this_," Brock gestured to the battle field, "is a bit out of your league. You don't want to start challenging Gym's until you've had more experience.

"Tell you what. I'll let you walk away now with a full refund, I don't want to see your Pokémon get hurt."

Jet was shocked. Here was Natalie's ex-boyfriend treating him like a kid and telling him come back when he's older! "Thank you for your concern," said Jet, "But I'd much rather fight and lose than give up before I even try."

Brock looked shocked at first, but then smiled, "It's your spirit as a trainer that compels you to challenge me? Very well, we shall battle."

He then turned to Natalie and said, "You and your red headed friend go sit in the bleachers, I want to talk to you after the match, ok?"

Both Natalie and Amy wished Jet good luck and went to the bleachers to watch the match. Brock asked, "How many Pokémon do you have on you?"

Jet's heart pounded as he answered, "Six."

Brock told his assistant, "Six on six, he can switch out, I can't."

Jet said, "Wait! Either you can switch out, or I can't. A handicap match is no real victory."

Brock smiled and said, "I like you kid. You're dumb as fuck, but you got spirit."

Jet noted as he took his place on the challenger's platform, that he actually liked Brock up until that last comment. When Brock stood on his platform, the audience applauded.

Brock's assistant stood on the editor's platform and said, "This is an official league match between Jethro Brown and Brock Takeshi! Both trainers will use a total of six Pokémon for the match. Both trainers will have the ability to switch at any time throughout the match. The match will continue until all of the Pokémon on one side are unable to battle or until someone forfeits the match.

"Are trainers on both sides ready?" When both trainers signaled that they were ready, the editor said, "Send out your first Pokémon!"

Brock went first and sent out a Zubat. When Jet sent out Spark, Brock laughed, "So, you're not just a bug catcher, huh? This just got a whole lot more interesting! Still, it's foolish to send a Pichu out on my field!"

The editor then said, "Begin!"

"Zubat, use Supersonic!"

"Thundershock!"

Spark's attack hit first. Zubat dropped to the ground after being hit. Spark took advantage and hit its foe with Quick Attack, just as it was trying to get back in the air. Zubat was knocked backwards; it did not get back up.

"Zubat is unable to battle, Pichu is the winner!"

Everyone in the audience looked shock.

"Did he just take out one of Brock's Pokémon in two moves?"

"I battled him last night, that Pichu is a beast!"

Brock smiled as he recalled his Pokémon, "Ok, I underestimated you. Now the real match begins! Go, Geodude!"

As soon as Geodude was released Jet recalled Spark and sent out Pugsly. Brock laughed again, "Playing at type advantage? Good, Geodude could use the challenge, use Magnitude!"

"Jump and counter!"

Geodude pounded the ground, sending out a powerful seismic wave of energy. But Pugsly jumped just in time and was going for an attack when Brock said, "Use Rollout!"

Geodude rolled out the way and started to move about the field to gain momentum. Jet told Pugsly, "Remember, don't attack head on! Step into his attack and pivot until you get and opening!"

Pugsly nodded and dodged Geodude gracefully while looking for an opening. The crowd cheered as Pugsly continued to avoid Geodude's Rollout. Brock called to Geodude, "Try and aim for where you think Mankey is going to dodge!"

Jet suddenly had an idea, "Use Hidden Power!"

Pugsly began to glow and released his attack just as Geodude was about to hit him. Geodude was knocked back, and his Rollout attack was stopped. Jet grinned and said, "Use Karate Chop!"

"Use Defense Curl!"

Geodude curled into a ball, just as Pugsly's attack hit him. The force from the blow made Geodude sink a little into the sand below, which cushioned the attack. Geodude, who was left unscathed, grabbed Pugsly's arm and threw him.

Pugsly was tossed several meters, but landed upright and unharmed. The crowd cheered as they watched both Pokémon do battle with such skill. Jet told Pugsly, "When he puts up his guard like that, use your Hidden Power to break it!"

Brock told his Geodude, "Use Magnitude!"

Once again, Pugsly jumped to avoid the attack. When Pugsly dropped down with a Karate Chop, Geodude used Defense Curl to cushion the blow. Pugsly immediately started to glow, but Geodude grabbed Pugsly's tail before he could use Hidden Power. Jet said, "Take his arm!"

Pugsly aggressively grabbed Geodude's arm and did a straight arm bar. Brock said, "What the hell?" While Jet said, "Thrust your hips!"

Geodude tapped the ground and Pugsly let go and stood back. The editor looked in shock and didn't know how to react, but Brock recalled Geodude and told the editor, "Geodude is out. He tapped and that counts as a forfeit."

"Oh, Ok then," said the editor, "Geodude has forfeited, so Mankey is the winner! That brings the count to Brock- four, and Brown- six!"

The crowd cheered and Brock shook his head, "An arm bar? Nice one, kid! This might be one of the best battles I've had in a while!"

Jet smiled, "Still think I should've taken the refund?"

Brock laughed, "And deprive me of this much fun? Nah, I'm glad you signed up! Go, Mudkip!"

The small water Pokémon popped out of its pokeball. Jet was surprised Brock had a water type in his arsenal, but not unprepared. After recalling his Mankey, Jet sent his Pichu back out.

Brock immediately yelled, "Dig!"

Mudkip went underground with extraordinary speed, and resurfaced just as quick with a type effective attack on Spark. Jet said, "Quick, use Thundershock!"

But Mudkip was already back underground. Spark went over to the entrance of the hole Mudkip had just dug and sent a Thundershock down it, but a second later he was hit again by dig. Jet called out, "No, Spark!"

Mudkip shot Spark with a water gun before he could recover. After hitting Spark, Mudkip once again went underground. Jet said, "Spark, use double team!"

Before Spark even had a chance to, he was knocked out by Mudkip's dig attack.

"Pichu is unable to battle, Mudkip is the winner!"

The crowd cheered loudly. As Jet recalled Spark, he had to admit to himself that Mudkip was definitely going to be a problem.

"Ok, let's switch it up. Go Hornet!"

The crowd cheered more when they saw a Beedrill enter the fray. Brock smiled and said, "I was wondering when you were going to send out your bug Pokémon! Mudkip, return! Go, Vulpix!"

"Fuck me." Jet mumbled under his breath. Before him stood a gorgeous Vulpix, which meant trouble for Hornet.

"Vulpix, use Flameburst!"

"Dodge it and use Cobweb!"

Hornet wasn't able to dodge Vulpix's attack, and that fight was over before it even begun.

"Beedrill is unable to battle, Vulpix is the winner!"

The crowd cheered louder than ever at the one hit KO. Recalled his Beedrill in disappointment; never before has one of his Pokémon been defeated that easily.

"Go Sora!"

Brock smirked when the Pidgey flew around the arena, "C'mon, a Pidgey? Is that all you got? Vulpix, use Flameburst!"

"Sora, dodge!"

Sora was a lot quicker than Hornet, and easily dodged Vulpix's attack. Jet smiled and said, "Use sand-attack!"

Vulpix was about to use another Flameburst when Sora kicked up a huge cloud of sand. No one was able to see what was going on. No one that is, except for Sora. Everyone listened as Vulpix yelped again and again after being repeatedly attacked by a foe she could not see.

"Vulpix, listen for the Pidgey's attacks!"

"Sora," said Jet, "Use sand-attack again, keep your opponent's visibility low!"

Back on the stands, Amy whispered to Natalie, I bet you Brock isn't too happy that his arena is filled with sand now! That Vulpix may have a killer Flameburst, but it's good for nothing if Pidgey is the only one that can see."

Vulpix continued you yelp louder and louder. Finally, the yelping stopped and the dust cleared. In the middle of the field, Sora was flying circles around an unconscious Vulpix. The crowd cheered as the editor said, "Vulpix is unable to battle, Pidgey is the winner!"

Brock recalled his Vulpix and sighed. "I thought for sure we had that one. Good job Vulpix. Ok, go Rhyhorn!"

Jet said, "You have to be fucking kidding me."

Rhyhorn stomped onto the field and let out a mighty roar. The crowd clapped appreciatively and Jet recalled his Pidgey. _His hide is too thick for physical attacks, so why not try mental?_

"Go, Butters!"

Butters flew onto the field to a lot of oh's and ah's. Jet told Butters, "Keep to the ceiling, and be prepared to dodge any projectile attacks!"

Brock frowned, "Just what are you planning?"

As an answer, Jet said, "Hit him with Confusion!"

Rhyhorn roared in pain as Butters' attack took effect. Jet then said, "When he roars, use Sleep Powder!"

Butters used another Confusion, before dropping a purple powder down on Rhyhorn. Within seconds, the beast was asleep.

The crowd went quiet as the editor proclaimed, "Rhyhorn is unable to battle, Butterfree is the winner!"

Jet breathed a sigh of relief as Rhyhorn was recalled. But then he watched in horror as Brock sent out his next Pokémon. There aren't a lot of things in this world that could scare a man like standing in front of a twenty five foot rock like snake with nothing in between an overgrown butterfly. Or, at least, that is what Jet thought to himself as Onix uncoiled itself.

"Butters, use confusion!"

"Onix, use Rock Throw!"

Jet could tell the Confusion had taken effect, but that didn't stop Onix from knocking Butters out with a single attack. Its speed was incredible. Jet would have never thought it to be that fast with that amount of bulk.

"Butterfree is unable to battle, Onix is the winner!"

The crowd cheered and Jet began to feel his nerves go into overdrive; how in the hell was he supposed to beat that thing? "Go Pugsly!"

"Onix, return! Go, Mudkip!"

"Pugsly, use Leer!"

"Mudkip, use Dig!"

Pugsly's eyes began to glow, and Mudkip shivered as Leer took effect. It then burrowed underground. Jet told Pugsly, "Go after it!"

Without a second's hesitation, Pugsly dove into the hole Mudkip had just dug. No one could tell what was going on beneath there. After a few seconds, there were some cries coming from the hole. Thirty seconds later, some water spurted out. Jet did not take as a good sign.

After another full minute, Pugsly jumped out of the hole, carrying Mudkip by its fin. Everyone watched in amazement as Pugsly tossed Mudkip against a rock, breathing heavily. Mudkip stood up with difficulty. Then, without warning, both Pokémon collapsed.

Everyone gasped; what could have happened to those Pokémon while they were underground?

"Both Mudkip and Mankey are unable to battle! Trainers, call your next Pokémon!"

Jet already knew what was coming next as Brock sent out his final Pokémon; Onix. Brock called over to Jet, "I'm surprised, you've actually gotten this far! But it's over now. Onix can take whatever you throw at it."

Jet pulled the ultra-ball from his belt and enlarged it. He said to it, "Time to come out, guns blazing." He kissed it, and then sent out his next Pokémon, "Go, Thorn!"

As soon as Thorn emerged, he shot past Onix and used Metal Claw to scratch the entire length of Onix's right side. Thorn then rolled out of the way of Onix's counter attack and landed upright, facing his opponent.

The entire crowed started buzzing about Thorn's color, "Wow, look how dark it is!"

Brock smiled and said, "Nice Charmander, too bad it's going to get squashed! Onix, use Rock Tomb!"

"On his back, Thorn!"

Thorn jumped out the way as rocks erupted from the ground and grabbed onto Onix. Jet yelled, "Climb up with Metal Claw!"

"Get him off, Onix!"

Try as Onix might, he could not shake Thorn. Like a lizard climbing someone's leg, Thorn quickly navigated the boulders that was the physique of Onix. As he did so, he would claw at every opening he found; and he found a lot of openings.

"Onix, use body slam!"

"Thorn, on his head!"

Onix tried to slam his entire body in hopes of crushing Thorn, but to no avail. Thorn was already at the head. Jet called, "Burn its eyes with Ember!"

Thorn let out a burst of flame and Onix roared. It tossed about and slammed its tail every which way. Thorn held on for dear life. Jet said, "Now the neck, use Metal Claw!"

Thorn then slid from Onix's head, to its neck, and then down its front all while digging his claws deep into Onix's rock, hard skin. Thorn then jumped off of Onix as it hit itself with its own tail. Onix fell, and Thorn landed safely on a nearby boulder. Brock said, "Ok, I want that fucking Charmander!"

Jet said, "Quick, burn it's wounds!"

Just as Onix was getting up, Thorn began to climb its body again. This time, however, it used Ember on all of the spots he had previously scratched. Onix tried and tried, but it could not stop that little Charmander.

After a while the crowd started cheering Thorn on. Brock was getting more and more frustrated that nothing he was trying worked. Finally, Thorn had finished burning the wounds and he dropped down, exhausted from his hard work. Onix was having difficulty moving and fell down. Jet told Brock, "You should stop the match now, before your Pokémon gets hurt."

Brock got angry for the first time, "It's not over yet, Onix can still fight! Onix, stand up!"

Jet did not know why people didn't know when to quit when they were given an out. Jet had hurt too many Pokémon because their trainers refused to lose. Still, Jet would not deny his Charmander this victory. Not when they have come this far!

When Onix got back up, it struggled to do so and its balance was off. Taking advantage of this, Jet told Thorn, Aim for the middle, use Takedown!"

Thorn jumped at Onix with all his might, tackling it around its center of gravity. Onix fell backward into the Platform where Brock was standing. Brock barely had time to get out of the way as his Pokémon fell, now unconscious.

"O-Onix is unable to battle. Charmander is the winner! The Victory goes to Brown!"

The crowd erupted with cheers. Jet jumped down from his platform and ran at Thorn, who was now standing on Onix. Jet picked Thorn up and tossed him in the air, saying, "You did it, buddy! You beat him, by a landslide! I'm so proud of you!"

Thorn started glowing and Jet put him down. The crowd cheered even louder as Thorn evolved into a Charmeleon. Jet was speechless; all his life he always wanted a Charmeleon.

Thorn was now about two feet taller. The muscles that Jet had tried to work during training were now more pronounced than ever. His claws were white and sharp, his fangs were more deadly than ever. Thorn let out a roar of fire from his maw, it was bright blue.

Jet laughed and grabbed Thorn by the back of his head. Putting his brow against Thorn's, Jet said, "You and me, we'll take on the fucking world! Together we'll step into the fire, and come out fucking champions!"

Thorn closed his eyes and growled appreciatively. Jet recalled him with a large smile on his face. If nothing else, Jet felt, this was a sign that he was going the stars. Fuck the regionals, Jet and Thorn were going for the world championships.

Brock walked up with his assistant and said, "You were really something. That was my first loss since becoming a Gym leader, and I couldn't even get a hit on your last Pokémon. By the power invested in me by the Pokémon League, I now present you with the Boulder badge!"

He handed Jet a badge that looked like charm he wore around his neck. He handed Jet a check and said, "Here is your winnings, the odds of you beating me were five to one, so that's a pretty significant check."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "I get odds?"

Brock nodded, "League rules. All Gym's offer odds. And finally, I present you with this TM; Rock Tomb. It's my signature attack."

Jet grinned and said, "Thanks, you didn't have to-"

"Actually, I do. League rules."

Jet laughed and said, "I'll take what I can get."

**Author's Notes:**

**I figured it was best to do the whole Gym battle in one chapter. In case you're wondering; when Mankey and Mudkip were fighting underground Mudkip flooded the tunnel while Mankey choked him. Some stuff happened before that, but I'll leave that to your imagination.**

***Jet's Team:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn- Lv. 21**

**Mankey/ Pugsly- Lv. 18**

**Pidgey/ Sora- Lv. 17**

**Butterfree/ Butters- Lv. 16**

**Beedrill/ Hornet- Lv. 16**

**Pichu/ Spark- Lv. 16**

***Brock's Team**

**Zubat- Lv. 15**

**Geodude- Lv. 17**

**Mudkip- Lv. 19**

**Rhyhorn- Lv. 16**

**Vulpix- Lv. 24**

**Onix- Lv. 18**

**So, what did you think of the first Gym battle? Too long? Too short? Too unrealistic, (C'mon, its Pokémon, guys!), or did you enjoy it overall?**

**Leave me a comment to let me know!**


	23. Natalie's Decision

Natalie's Decision

Amy and Natalie had come from the stands to congratulate Jet on his win. "Great job, Jet!" Amy smiled at him as he said, "Thank you, but it was all these guys," he pointed at his belt, "I just kind of, cheered them on."

"Stop acting modest," said Natalie, "It doesn't suit you."

Amy giggled and said, "So, why don't we go celebrate?"

Jet smiled and said, "Yeah, sounds fun."

"Natalie," Brock interrupted, "Can I talk to you? Alone?"

Natalie looked at Brock and told Jet and Amy, "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Are you sure?" asked Amy, "We can wait for you."

Natalie smiled and said, "Thanks, but no need."

Amy and Jet left Natalie behind and got on a bus to go back to the Center. While they were on the bus, Jet fiddled around with his new boulder badge. Part of him was still caught up in the euphoria of his victory, and the spoils thereof. The other part was worrying about Natalie. Jet didn't like the idea of her being alone with Brock, and couldn't enjoy himself fully while she was away.

Amy looked down at Jet's badge and said, "You should put that somewhere you won't lose it."

Jet smiled and said, "Yeah, I'd be pissed if that happened. So, where do you want to go?"

Amy shrugged and said, "It's your choice, you won the badge today."

Jet leaned back and said, "Umm, how about we get some food? We'll just walk around until we find a good restaurant and just pig out."

Amy smiled, "That sounds good."

**XXX**

Back at the Gym, Brock had showed Natalie his new apartment. It was above the actual Gym and had all new furniture. "This is really nice, Brock. You're doing well for yourself."

Brock said, "Yeah, owning the Gym does have its perks. So, why haven't you called me?"

Natalie sighed and said, "We've been through this, Brock! We're no longer together; I don't have to call you!"

Brock frowned, "Do you know I've been thinking about you every day since you left me?"

"Brock, don't!"

Brock put his hand on her cheek and said, "I miss you, Nat. Look at me," he gently faced her head so her eyes looked into hers, "I miss us."

Brock went in for a kiss and Natalie turned away, "Stop it. There _is_ no more us. I'm traveling now, doing things I've always wanted to do. There's no place for you in my world now."

A flash of irritation appeared in Brock's eyes, "What, with that Jethro guy? He's not your type, Nat."

Natalie spat, "First of all, it's none of your business who I'm with! Second of all, how the fuck would you know what my type is?"

"Because I know you better than anyone, Nat. You're never going to be satisfied with him! You think he's cute and everything now, but at the end of the day he's just a boy. You need a man."

Brock went in for the kiss yet again. Natalie said, "Stop." But he persisted, and she gave in. They kissed passionately and moved onto the couch, where Brock put his hand between Natalie's legs.

Natalie's phone started to ring, but they ignored it until it stopped. When it rang the second time, Brock grabbed it and answered it, "She's busy!" Click.

Natalie snatched her phone and said, "You don't answer my phone, Brock! Oh no," she said pushing Brock off her, "That was-"

**XXX**

Back at the Pokémon Center Jet locked the screen on his phone. Brock had just answered Natalie's phone and hung up on him. He may have imagined it, but it sounded as if Brock was breathing heavily. Jet had never had his heart broken before, but he was pretty sure it must feel something close to how his heart felt now.

There was a physical pain in his chest. It was like a pulling, wrenching, burning sensation all in a measure. Was he actually falling in love with her? Was what he's feeling something beyond jealousy? It certainly felt like it.

Amy walked into the room and said, "Did you call Nat?" Jet nodded and said, "Yeah, she-umm… I don't think she'll be able to make it."

Amy said, "Oh… well, we could wait for her."

Jet shook his head, "Nah, let's go get some food."

In truth, Jet needed a distraction. He needed Amy to distract him, because he was feeling pretty numb right about then. He put on a fake smile as they left the center to find a restaurant. The place they did find was a sushi bar. Jet didn't like sushi, but it made Amy happy so he went without complaint.

He smiled when Amy told a joke. He cheered with the others as the chefs diced their food right before their eyes. He put on a mask as the teriyaki chicken was tossed up in the air. But over and over again, he saw the image of Natalie biting her lip as Brock fucked her, and it pissed him the fuck off.

By the time he and Amy returned to the room his primary emotion was only anger. That anger was intensified when they opened the door to find the place deserted. Amy asked, "Did she call you back or text you?"

Jet shook his head, "Nah, but I got to pick my Pokémon up from the infirmary and hit the mart up before it closes. I'll be right back."

"Ok," Amy said. As soon as the door closed Amy called Natalie. When it went to voicemail Amy said, "Where the hell are you? Why haven't you called? I don't know what you said to Jet but he's been upset all day! He pretends he's not but that's my best friend and I know when something's bothering him. If you're leaving him for Brock then be up front! I don't want him getting hurt! Call me back when you get this!"

**XXX**

At Brock's apartment, Natalie was laying naked under the sheets of his bed. Brock was currently in the shower singing some song by Miguel. Natalie heard a ding on her phone that signaled a voicemail. She listened to the message and put her hand over her mouth. She had never meant to hurt Jet. She didn't even mean to end up in bed with Brock. Yet she had done both and felt like shit because of it. There was no point on going back to the Center now, the damage has been done. Perhaps it would be best if she waited until morning.

**XXX**

Down at the storage PC in the Pokémon Center, Jet had just got finished telling everyone about his victory. He called his parents, Professor Oak, and his best friend Brian. After hearing their reactions he was feeling a lot better about the Natalie situation.

He had done some thinking, and decided it best if he made some room in his party for new talent. So, deciding he could always get them back whenever he wanted, Jet deposited his Beedrill, Butterfree, and his Mankey.

After depositing his Pokémon he went back upstairs to go to bed. When he woke up in the morning, Natalie still wasn't there. He groggily got up, washed up, and got dressed. Amy woke up and said, "You're up early."

Jet smiled and said, "It's eleven, Amy. This is sleeping in for me."

Amy sat up and yawned, ruffling her fingers through her pillow hair as she did so. "You could have slept up here if you wanted to."

Jet laughed and said, "Now you tell me."

Amy smiled and got up to get ready. Jet laid down on the bed while she got in the shower, and decided that he really regretted not sleeping in the bed. His back was aching.

The door knob suddenly clicked as Natalie unlocked it and opened it. Jet sat up from the bed and said, "Hi."

Natalie closed the door, "Hi."

There was a silence, and Jet realized Natalie didn't want to be the first one to speak. "Late night?"

"What did you think was going to happen, Jethro?" Natalie asked, almost pleadingly, "Did you think you and me would travel around the world together and fall in love? That'd I'd follow you to the ends of the earth and be your personal cheering section?"

There was a hint of desperation in her voice. Jet stood up and asked, "Are you leaving then?"

Natalie hesitated, and then asked, "Do you want me to leave?"

Part of Jet did; the part that was angry at her. He felt cheated on, and he didn't even want to look at her. The other part of him, the one that had a small ray of hope for the two of them, wanted her to stay.

"I'll leave that decision up to you." Jet went to the door and opened it, "I have to get some supplies. If you're not here when I get back, then I'll understand."

Jet went down the elevator with a burning question in his mind; would he really be ok with it if she stayed? Would he and her ever have anything to offer each other?

He cashed the check he got from the Pewter City Gym. With the winnings, Jet was able to afford higher quality medicines and vitamins. He was also able to get some custom pokeballs for his trip. After purchasing supplies, Jet made his way back to the room.

When he walked in, Amy said, "Hey- umm… Natalie left. She said she wanted me to give you these." Amy handed Jet five empty Pokeballs, and his insides went numb.

**Author's Notes:**

**Writing this chapter was extremely annoying. Natalie isn't completely written out of the story, she'll be back. I just won't say when.**

**So next chapter will see Jet and Amy heading to Mt. Moon. What kind of Pokémon will they see? What kind of dangers will they face? Stay tuned!**

**And as always, please review!**


	24. Hydra

Hydra

Amy let out a loud groan as Jet woke her from her sleeping bag. They were sleeping at a small wood just on the side of route four. They had been walking for a full day and had already completely by passed route three.

"Let's go, Amy. At the end of this road is a small Pokémon Center. We can stay there instead of sleeping on the ground all night."

Amy rolled over and mumbled sleepily, "Do they have a shower, Jet?"

Jet laughed and patted Amy on the head, "A nice, warm one with three speeds!"

Amy groaned again as she sat up. Amy was not the outdoorsy type that Natalie was. She absolutely loathed walking any distance over two miles, and was none too happy about sleeping on the ground. Jet grinned to himself as he remembered his annoyance when he first started camping out. Then he felt a little sad inside when he remembered Natalie teasing him for it.

"Get up, we only got five miles to walk."

"Ugh! How do people do this?"

It took a while for them to get packed and ready to go. Amy was grumpy when they finally set out. "Fuck, we need to buy bikes."

Jet smiled and said, "That's what I said to Natalie." Realizing he had mentioned she-who-must-not-be-named, Jet fell silent again. They walked for about twenty minutes, and then stopped at a large pond to rest Amy's aching feet.

"It's even worst today because we were walking all yesterday!"

She pulled off her shoes and socks to dip them in the water. Jet sat down next to her, "You have really nice feet."

"Thank you, but I think they're going to have a few blisters after today. Ah!" Natalie pulled her feet out of the water as a Poliwag appeared where her feet were just at. The Poliwag waddled out of the water and started towards Jet's bag, which still had some berries in it.

The Poliwag stopped when it heard some commotion behind it, and turned around to come face to face with Amy's Hoot-hoot. "Hoot-hoot, use Hypnosis!"

It seemed that Poliwag must've been thinking along the same lines, because both Pokémon used the same attack at the exact same time. Jet laughed as they both put each other to sleep. Amy sucked her teeth, "Laugh if you want," she said while throwing a Pokeball, "I just caught me a Poliwag!"

Jet grinned and said, "You know what, I could use a water Pokémon too. Good thing I taught Sora how to fish!"

Jet sent out his Pidgey and said, "Try and find a water Pokémon on the surface and bring them out for a battle!"

Sora nodded and flew into the air, circling the pond while searching for Jet's newest team member. Amy laughed, "You don't really think this is going to work, do you?"

Sora suddenly dived through the air. It pulled up right at the surface of the pond carrying what looked like a large fish. She flew the Pokémon over to Jet and dropped it in front of him; it was a Magikarp.

Amy burst out laughing, "There you go, Jet! Your new star Pokémon! Too bad you didn't have one while facing Brock, huh?"

Jet pulled out a net ball and said, "Yup, too bad."

Natalie stopped laughing, "You aren't actually going to waste a pokeball on that thing, are you?"

Jet pulled out his Pokedex and asked, "Now you're starting to sound like Natalie! Where's your sense of adventure? Let's see… Level; thirteen. Gender; female. Age; approximately fourteen months old. Height; three, four. Weight; thirty pounds. Ability; swift swim. Attacks; Splash."

Amy shook her head, "How does splash even count as an attack, it doesn't do anything!"

Jet shrugged, "It can be used to dodge an attack if executed right. But honestly, I think they just count it as an attack to give Magikarp a signature move."

Jet enlarged his net ball and Amy said, "What the fuck are you doing?"

Jet smiled and said, "I'm catching me a Magikarp!"

He threw the net ball at Magikarp. She was immediately sucked inside. The capsule rolled around for a little bit and then clicked. Amy rolled her eyes, "Complete waste of a perfectly good net ball. Magikarp are our food, they aren't meant to battle."

Jet recalled his Pidgey and said, "Whatever."

After recalling Pidgey he registered Magikarp under his name with the Pokedex. Once the new Pokémon was registered, Jet sent it out. Amy sighed as she put her feet back in the water. "Well, you just caught yourself a very expensive pet, I guess."

Jet bent down on a knee and said, "Hi, my name is Jethro, I'm your new trainer. And as such, I hear by dub you Hydra."

"Oh brother." Amy grumbled.

Jet grinned, "You Magikarp have been given a bad rep, mostly because no one knows how to train you to do proper attacks."

"And you do?"

"I got this, Amy! Thank you!"

Shaking his head, Jet turned to Hydra and said, "Anyways, me and you are going to do a lot of training together. I know you have hard scales, that will be ideal defensive wise, let's see your jumping ability."

Jet stood up and said, "Hydra, use Splash!"

Hydra jumped about twelve feet in the air before flopping back down unceremoniously. Jet smiled and said, "You got some hops! Now let's see how you can use this move defensively!"

Jet sent out Thorn and Spark. He had them take turns trying to attack Hydra while the ladder used splash to avoid their attacks. In theory it seemed like a good idea, but Hydra was not able to time their attacks right and got hurt a lot.

While Jet fed Hydra some berries so she could regain her strength, Amy said, "You know this could be considered animal cruelty, right?"

Jet, ignoring Amy, pulled his binding brace from his bag, "You just have too many unnecessary movements. You need to calm down. Take a rest and try to stay still until I say otherwise."

And so she did. Like a dead fish, Hydra just laid there as Jet got to work modifying the binding brace. After he got finished, he fastened it on to Hydra. He placed the rings that were supposed to go to arms and legs around each of Hydra's four fins. The head and tail rings went where they were supposed to.

Jet said, "Ok, now try using Splash."

Hydra tried and only jumped up about three feet. Jet smiled and said, "Good, now keep using splash until I say stop."

Hydra did as she was told, and the rest of Jet's Pokémon were put to the task of practicing their close combat techniques. Amy, who was now eating a berry from Jet's bag, asked, "Just what do you got cooked up in that devious little mind of yours, anyway?"

Jet, who was closely watching Hydra's progress, said, "I've got some plans. I'm not sure whether or not they'll work, but I'm definitely going to experiment. Why are you slowing down? That's another thirty seconds!"

After Hydra was absolutely exhausted from using Splash, Jet said, "Ok, more avoidance training. Everyone gather around Hydra, it's game time!"

Sometime around night fall, they arrived at the Pokémon Center. Jet went to the infirmary and said, "Hi, my Magikarp is in desperate need of rejuvenation, about how long will that take?"

This Pokémon Center was relatively small. Instead of individual rooms, it had to bays. One for the males, and one for the females. In the bays were about twenty bunk beds, a locker for each bed, and a bathroom. Jet had checked in and put his bag in a locker. After that he met with Amy in the lobby.

"The ladies room is gross, and there are only two girls staying here!"

Jet shrugged, "It's better than camping out. Besides, tomorrow we'll go exploring Mt. Moon, it's a three minute walk from here!"

"Well, what are we doing tonight?"

Jet laughed, "I don't know what _you're_ doing, but _I'm _training my Magikarp."

Amy frowned, "Don't you think you're working that thing a little too hard? I mean, it's not like it's going to get any stronger!"

Jet smiled, "I worked all of the rest of my Pokémon just as hard, _including_ your Ivysaur! You only get as much out as you put in. Hydra will get a break, once she's strong enough to defend herself."

Amy shook her head, _Just what does he see in that thing?_

Jet got his Pokémon from the infirmary and took it out side to train. "Ok, you made a little progress with dodging. At least you're starting to get the fundamentals; wait for the opportune moment and then execute! Now I'm going to teach you an offensive move, One that most of your species may have trouble with."

Jet positioned himself and said, "For the way you move, I suppose you would Splash sideways you propel yourself forward, like this."

Jet did a kind of cartwheel and said, "The idea is to use Splash to turn your body and smack your opponent with your tail. It's a modified version of the move, Slam. Now you try."

Jet watched Hydra and said, "You've got the basic idea, I just want to make one adjustment. Instead of jumping so high, like you usually do with Splash, try using all that force for the attack rather than gaining height. Don't waste energy that you could be using for your offense."

Hydra modified her attack and Jet said, "Much better, again!" When she did it again, Jet said, "Take your time. Focus on building technique, and we'll worry about speed and power later. Now use Slam, Hydra!"

She did it again, this time slower and more deliberate. It started to rain. Jet said, "Looks like nature is on your side tonight! We aren't stopping until you can't move anymore. Now, show me your true strength, use Slam!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Next chapter will get into the exploration of Mt. Moon. What kind of training does Jet have cooked up for his Magikarp? Will he be able to turn it into a fighter? Or is it a waste of time like Amy suggests? Stay tuned to find out!**

**And as always, Please Review!**


	25. Mt Moon

**Author's Notes:**

**I should probably mention that if a trainer doesn't have a Pokedex, then they can't register a Pokémon to their name until they get to a Pokémon Center.**

**Also, once a Pokémon has been registered under one trainer, it can't be registered to another without that trainer's expressed permission.**

Mt. Moon

Amy and Jet got up early the next morning to grab breakfast and explore the caves of Mt. Moon. They grabbed their bags, dressed in their hiker's best, and stood before the mouth of the great unknown.

"So," Amy said, apprehensively, "Do we just go in? It looks pretty dark."

Jet pulled out his ultraball and called forth his Charmeleon. "Lead the way, Thorn." The cave was enormous. There was a high ceiling damp with condensation. Every now and then something would either fly, or crawl by.

Amy smiled and said, "This is awesome, it's just like the movies!"

Jet frowned, "What, you mean like Sanctum?"

"Never saw that, but I guess."

Jet looked at the walls of the cave, "There must be a water source in here somewhere. Look at all the condensation."

Amy squinted and said, "Yeah, I wonder what kind of Pokémon live here."

"Clefairy, Geodude, Paras, Zubat, Sandshrew, Rattata, Spina-"

"How is it you know this?"

Jet shrugged, "I don't know. I got a lot of stuff bouncing around in my head. It's like a whole cornucopia of useless information that I have no recollection of ever learning."

"What does cornawhata mean?"

"It's like a kind of basket that is considered a symbol of abundance in weste-"

"Holy shit, you _do_ know a lot of useless information!"

Jet laughed, "I watched a lot of Jeopardy as a kid."

Amy gasped as a rock directly ahead of them moved. Jet smiled when he saw that it was just a Geodude. He turned to Thorn and said, "Take him."

There was a flash as their light source shot across the passage way and struck down the Geodude in a single Metal Claw. Jet threw a pokeball at it and caught it immediately. He picked it up to register it on his Pokedex.

"What are you naming this one, Rocky?"

"Nah," Jet said as he read its stats, "I'm going to name him, Boulder."

Amy giggled, "Just as cheesy."

"Level fifteen, male, not a bad move set." Jet seemed to be talking more to himself, "This guy could definitely come in handy. Good job, Thorn."

They continued onward, hitting many forks in the cave along the way. "Jethro, what happens if we get lost in here?"

Jet thought about it and said, "We just go back the way we came I sup- AH SHIT!"

Jet, Thorn, and Amy suddenly fell down a hole in the ground. They slid down what felt like a very long, rocky tunnel slide. When they finally hit solid ground, it was in a giant cavern. There was graffiti on the walls, which meant humans had most likely been to this place.

"Ouch," Amy stood up, "You were saying?"

Jet stood up as well, "Nothing to do but keep going forward, I guess."

They walked through the cavern, taking in the awe of its sheer size. Amy pointed to the graffiti and said, "Maybe we should follow the drawings to get out."

Jet said, "Good idea, Amy. There's probably some local residents living around the mountains."

A Paras crawled on the spot where Amy had been pointing. Amy said, "Ok, I got this one. Go, Hoot-hoot!"

Hoot-hoot came out ready for battle. Natalie said, "Use Peck!" Hoot-hoot went to close the distance, but Paras jumped out of the way and used Stun spore.

Hoot-hoot was now paralyzed, although it was fighting to move. Paras didn't stop there, but went in for a scratch attack. Amy said, "Use Growl!"

The Growl attack echoed throughout the cavern and was magnified. Jet covered his ears, along with Amy and Thorn. Paras stopped his attack in mid swing and flinched horribly.

Amy yelled something, but Jet's ears were ringing so he didn't hear properly. Seconds later, though, Paras was put to sleep by a well-executed Hypnosis.

Amy threw the pokeball and Paras was caught immediately. Jet started to get the feeling back in his ears and said, "Ok, let's follow the graffiti now."

Both trainers followed the markings on the walls. When they got closer, Thorn's firelight illuminated the inscriptions. Among the writings were the messages:

_Mike is a fag_

_That ain't what yo bitch said last night_

_I am far king we tar did_

_Dennis was here_

_Don't waste your time, no fossils here._

All coupled with fascinating drawings of the human anatomy and Pokémon caricatures.

"What a clever group of individuals," said Amy, sarcastically, "It looks like the writing ends at this passage."

Jet said nothing but started down the passage. They walked up the passage, for it did lead up hill, for the better part of seven minutes before Jet stopped at a hole in the wall. The hole was about six feet above the ground, and just big enough for someone to crawl through.

Jet said, "There is a breeze coming through here."

Amy nodded, "It's probably an air vent."

"Nah, this was dug by a Pokémon. Judging by the size of the hole, I'd say a Graveler."

Jet took off his bag and got out a flashlight. He then passed Natalie his bag and said, "Hold this."

"What are you going to do?"

Jet smiled, "Climb it and see what's up there!"

Amy shook her head, "Go for it."

Jet climbed into the hole, which was a lot narrower than it looked. Luckily, it wasn't a long tunnel, only about six feet or so. Jet emerged in what seemed like a small room, with some kind of natural, stone pedestal in the middle. When Jet shined a light on the pedestal, his heart skipped a beat. Jet called down the hole, "Send Thorn up with my bag!"

Amy called, "What am I supposed to use for light?"

"Catch!" Jet rolled his flashlight down the hole. He heard Amy say, "I got it!"

Seconds later, Thorn emerged with Jet's bag. Light flooded the room from Thorn's tail. It was a small room about five feet in height. There were small air holes here and there on the walls. On the pedestal was a nest. There were sixteen Pokémon eggs there. In the middle was a fist sized moon stone. Jet immediately put the moon stone in his bag. He then took a look at the eggs.

Judging by the size, color, and location, Jet determined they were probably Cleffa eggs. A few of them, however, were rounder and darker than the others. Jet got out his Pokedex and scanned them. Sure enough, the majority were Cleffa eggs, the rest were Igglybuff eggs.

Jet laughed to himself. The Clefairy must've been mating with the local Jigglypuff. (Wow this part sounds gay.) From below Amy asked, "What's up there?" Jet said, "Hold on!"

He got out two pokeballs and enlarged them. He then wrapped one lightly on a Cleffa egg. It was sucked into the capsule. Jet did the same with an Igglybuff egg and went back down the hole with Thorn.

"What was up there?" Amy asked as she passed Jet his flashlight.

Jet put the flashlight away and told Amy about the eggs. She raised her eyebrows, "Really? So the parents must be close by."

Jet shrugged, "I guess. If you want to grab a couple eggs, you should do it now."

Amy laughed, "What do I want with a bunch of baby Pokémon? Ones that I'll probably never use in battle? You didn't- did you?"

Jet smirked, "I did. Don't give me that look. You know how rare those Pokémon are in this region!"

Amy laughed and said, "Ah, well… Have fun raising them."

Jet smiled and said, "Those Pokémon are worth a shit ton of money."

Amy rolled her eyes, "You aren't the type to sell a Pokémon, Jet. You're like a hoarder, you sit on them just in case you want to use them later."

They started walking again, and Jet said, "Every Pokémon I catch or raise holds sentimental value to me. I wouldn't just sell them off to someone who doesn't appreciate them. That doesn't make me a hoarder."

"That's like, the very _definition_ of hoarding!"

Both trainers stopped dead. Standing in front of them, was a fully grown Clefairy. Amy wasted no time at all, "Go, Poliwag!"

As soon as Amy's Pokémon was sent out, Clefairy made a break for it. "Follow it!"

They ran after the Clefairy, which skipped down the corridor with amazing speed and agility. Thorn growled something to Poliwag, and the ladder jumped on Thorn's back. Thorn then ran full speed at Clefairy.

"Wait up!"

But they were already gone. Amy groaned, "Now we're stuck in the cave with no light and no idea where our Pokémon are!"

Jet grabbed Amy's hand and said, "Let's just keep moving forward, maybe we'll catch up to them."

And so they walked through the tunnel in darkness and silence. It was about a minute before Thorn came back for them. Amy asked, "Where's Poliwag?"

Thorn pointed ahead and had them follow him. They reached an opening to the outside. When they stepped out, they found themselves next to a pool of water complete with a waterfall. All around were trees with missing leaves that were scattered on the ground from the fall.

Directly in front of them, was Poliwag sitting on Clefairy, who was now fast asleep. Amy grinned and said, "Good job, boy!"

Poliwag blew a few bubbles and smiled.

**Author's Notes:**

**Next chapter Jet and Amy train their Pokémon while trying to get the eggs to hatch.**

**Stay tuned!**


	26. Sink or Swim

**Author's Notes:**

**Last chapter seemed a little chaotic with the catching of all of these new Pokémon.**

**Jet's Team:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn – Male- Lvl.22**

**Pidgey/Sora – Female – Lvl.17**

**Pichu/Spark – Male – Lvl.17**

**Magikarp/Hydra – Female – Lvl.13**

**Geodude/Boulder – Male – Lvl.15**

**Both eggs aren't technically part of Jet's party until after they hatch. They were both born by the same parent around the same time, so they will both hatch together.**

**Amy's Team:**

**Ivysaur – Male – Lvl.19**

**Hoot-hoot – Female – Lvl.14**

**Poliwag – Male – Lvl.13**

**Paras – Male – Lvl.12**

**Clefairy – Female – Lvl.12**

Sink or Swim

Hydra repeated the steps together in her head, _Move my head in the opposite direction of my tail. Flap my fins at the same time to push forward. Do the same thing in the opposite direction._

While the other Pokémon were to help set up camp, Jet gave Hydra the task of swimming laps around the pool at the base of the waterfall.

"Your current swimming style is highly inefficient in terms of both speed and technique," Jet had informed her, "Instead of swimming by using Splash to propel yourself forward, try this technique."

And so Hydra was ordered to do laps while trying this new form of swimming. Hydra found it extremely annoying. At first she was having trouble moving forward at all. Once she did get moving, the progress was slow and jerky.

She wanted to give up and just swim her way, but her master had given her an order. Orders from the master were absolute! Besides, everything else he had tried with her seemed unconventional at first. But now, she was able to use an attack that she was positive no other Magikarp knew.

Still, this brace was holding her back, making it hurt to keep going forward. She couldn't half ass it though; her master was counting on her. He hasn't let her down so far, so why should she let him down? _And turn, and thrust! And turn, and thrust!_

Outside of the pool, Jet laid the two eggs in a small dug out made by Boulder. It was near enough to the campfire to provide the desired hatching temperature, but far enough not to overdo it. Jet felt the eggs and said, "If I keep them outside of the pokeballs, they should hatch within the next week. There's already movement inside of them."

"That sounds good," said Amy as she set up her tent.

Sora and Thorn got back with the day's bounty; catfish and oran berries. Amy got a pot ready to make a stew. Jet called Hydra out of the water so she could rest before they all ate.

"I figure after lunch we could do some technique training for a few hours," said Jet to his Pokémon, "Thorn will lead the training for the day. Hydra, you're going to be with me; you and I are doing strength training."

Amy asked, "When you guys are done, want to do some sparring with us? I have to break the newbies in, but I'd like to get some battle practice in later."

"Oh, yeah! I just remembered!" Jet went into his bag and pulled out his moon stone, "Do you want to try it out on your Clefairy?"

Amy's eyes widened, "Where did you get that? I though this place has been picked clean years ago!"

"It was with the eggs," Jet grinned, "The Pokémon must have been hiding it for years."

The main part of Mt. Moon was a tourist attraction. It had a giant moon stone which was completely off limits to the public. Besides that moon stone, all other fragments were believed to be gone from the caves. The fact that Jet found one was nothing short of sheer luck.

"Let me see it? I want to see if it will work on Clefairy."

Jet handed Amy the moon stone, which she in turn took over to Clefairy. She placed it on Clefairy's brow, much the same way Jet did with his TM's, and waited.

The stone started to hum and light up a little. The light got brighter and brighter until Clefairy began to light up. All the other Pokémon watched in interest as Clefairy evolved into a Clefable. Amy squealed and hugged Jet. "Thank you! I can't believe I own a Clefable!"

Jet took the moon stone and put it away, "No problem. I have a TM for Hidden Power you can use on her too."

After lunch, everyone got to training. Thorn was paired up with Boulder, whom was to learn the basics of Jet's fighting style. Sora was set to spar with Hoot-hoot, while Spark wanted to face Ivysaur. Jet, meanwhile, got in the water with Hydra.

"Ok, girl," Jet said, "While you swim laps practicing your swimming technique, I'll swim with you. We'll do our strength training together. We sink or swim as a team."

And so they were off. Instead of swimming in circles, Jet and Hydra swam from one end of the pool to the other, with Hydra easily overlapping Jet. Her awkward swimming style was getting more and more refined as they swam on.

Thorn was trying to help Boulder with his defense. _You have no legs,_ said Thorn, _so it's harder for you shift your weight with your movements than it is for me. What I suggest, is rolling back when your opponent strikes and grabbing their arm, like so._

Sora and Hoot-hoot were practicing their close combat skills on the ground. It was awkward for them to scratch and tackle while not in the air, but they were able to manage.

Spark was having trouble against Ivysaur, who was much stronger than the former. Spark was a lot quicker, though, and was able to dodge Ivysaur's physical attacks fairly easily. He only used light electric attacks on his opponent as they were only sparring.

By the time dinner came, everyone was exhausted. No one more so than Hydra and Jet. Her binding brace was taking a hard toll on her muscles. Jet simply was at the end of his strength; every muscle in his body ached from swimming so much. He shook every time he went to move.

Thorn and the others seemed to find this highly amusing, as if they were relishing in seeing Jet more exhausted then they were. After dinner, the Pokémon all started sparring again. The two exceptions were Boulder and Hydra. Hydra was stuck with the task of swimming more laps while Jet and Boulder worked on Rock Tomb.

Once they were ready to call it a night, Jet and Amy set up a night watch schedule with two hour shifts in between. Jet and Hydra took the first watch. While everyone else was getting sleep, Jet had Hydra practice using Slam on a moss covered rock.

"Remember, take your time. Speed and power will come later, just focus on technique and accuracy for now."

While Hydra practiced her attack, Jet decided to spend his time shadow boxing. Just as he told Hydra, he moved a lot slower than he normally would. He focused on refining his own technique, which had become very rusty over the years.

The next morning saw Jet and Hydra doing waterfall training. "Some members of your species swim up waterfalls as a rite of passage. I know it's hard with that brace of yours on, but try to get to the top. If you fall, then just get up and try again."

While she tried to swim up the waterfall, Jet tried to climb beside her. Neither got farther than a few feet, nor did either one give up. Not only was the force of the falls too much for Jet to handle, but all of his stepping stones were slippery. Still, Jet was not doing this particular training for his benefit; it was so that Hydra would be motivated to keep going.

And motivated she was. For she didn't stop trying, no matter how many times they both fell. They kept at it again, and again, and again. After a while, Jet was so exhausted that he found himself unable to tread after falling.

He attempted to get his head above the water, but sank down farther from exhaustion. He held his breath and kicked his feet, but to no avail. Hydra dove under the water after him. Hydra had rescued him by swimming him to the banks while he held on to her.

"Thank you girl!" Jet said hugging his Magikarp, "I'm really impressed by how much you've grown. I think we're ready to take this off now."

Jet removed her binding brace and said, "I need to rest, so should you. We'll start technique training with the others after breakfast."

For breakfast, everyone had berries. It was safe to say that the entire group was becoming sick of them at this point. Amy asked, "Were you drowning earlier? Because I saw your Magikarp swimming you to land."

Jet nodded and said, "Yeah, Hydra really saved me back there. I would have drowned had it not been for her."

Thorn looked at Hydra and said, _You have my gratitude. Thank you for protecting the master._

Hydra, for her part, felt proud that she had saved Jet's life. She felt proud that she was able to training that he himself was unable to do. And finally, she felt relieved that she finally got a chance to take off that binding brace.

Jet looked over to the eggs, which he thought saw move a moment ago. He put his hand on each egg in turn and said, "They're moving around inside. I think they'll hatch in a couple of days!."

Amy smiled, "That's good, are you going to train them or what?"

Jet looked at Amy and said, "I've got something special planned for both of them."

Once breakfast was done, everybody got ready to start technique training. Jet gave his Pokémon their assignments, "Thorn, you're to find a boulder and use Ember on it until it's completely melted. Spark, do the same with your Thundershock.

"Boulder, your Hidden Power can use a lot of work, pair up with Sora and she'll help you through it. Hydra, we're going to work on your Tackle today."

Hydra felt elated as now she too got to participate in technique training with the others. She hopped over to Jet who took her over to one of the trees and said, "This will be your target. What you want to do is propel yourself forward with your tail, the same way you do with Slam. This time, however, you're hitting with your front end."

Hydra nodded affirmative and Jet smiled, "Now show me what you can do; use Tackle!"

**Author's Notes:**

**The next chapter will see more training. After that, the action begins as trouble starts brewing in Mt. Moon. Stay tuned to find out what happens!**


	27. Seymour the Scientist

Seymour the Scientist

All of the Pokémon lined up to watch the upcoming battle. Before them stood Amy on one side with her Poliwag. On the other side, Jet was going to send his Magikarp. This battle marked their final day of training, as the trainers had decided it was time to find their way to Cerulean.

Over the past eight days, Jet had increased the amount of training everybody did immensely. He had them focus on strength training in the mornings again, having them move large rocks to and fro. After that their battle techniques were being drilled into them for eight hours a day with very little reprieve.

The training proved to be successful, however, because everyone's performances have shown improvement. Boulder has already mastered Rock Tomb, while Thorn can melt large rocks in less than a minute! Jet was surprised when Sora evolved into a Pidgeotto at level eighteen.

No one had made more progress than Jet's Magikarp, however. Not only had she learned to dodge by splashing and rolling, she also has an impressive array of attacks for one of her kind. In eight days she had learned the offensive attacks Tackle, Pound, Slam, and to everyone's surprise, Flail. Her defensive skills included Tail Whip, Splash, and Harden. This last attack took a particularly long time for her to master, but she finally got it down thanks to Geodude's guidance. Jet also hinted that he had taught her a secret technique, but said she could only use it under certain conditions. One thing was for sure, Hydra was a lot stronger after her training with Jet.

Amy smiled at her opponent and said, "We'll finish packing after this quick match. Are you sure you just want to battle Poliwag and Magikarp?"

"Yeah," said Jet, "Hydra has had a lot of sparring practice, but I want her to get some experience in a serious battle. Everyone else can rest for now. They already have battle experience."

"Ok," Amy smirked, "We aren't going to take it easy on her!"

Jet laughed, "Hydra doesn't need you to, she can handle herself!"

"Then let's begin! Poliwag, use Double Slap!"

"Hydra, use Splash!"

Poliwag went in for his attack, but Magikarp shot high into the air. "Now use Pound!"

Magikarp came down from the air, turning her body to strike Poliwag with her tail. Poliwag rolled out the way just in time to dodge it. Amy said, "Use tackle!"

"Harden, Hydra!"

Poliwag's tackle hit, but it didn't do a lot of damage thanks to Magikarp's Harden. Jet smiled and said, "Show 'em a _real _Tackle attack!"

Magikarp shot at Poliwag and tackled him full on. Poliwag was knocked back, but recovered fully. Amy said, "Shoot it with Watergun!"

"Waterfall!"

Amy watched in amazement as Magikarp jumped straight into the watergun, and shot through it almost as easily as she would swim through a pool of water. The result was a hard physical attack dealt on Poliwag while he had no chance to defend himself. He was knocked back again, and Jet said, "Now use Slam!"

Amy cried, "Use Hypnosis!"

Magikarp hit first, knocking her opponent's face into the ground with a well-executed Slam attack. Jet grinned and said, "Tackle him, Hydra!"

Before Poliwag even got a chance to recover, it was hit yet again by Tackle. Things were not going well for him. Amy said, "Try hypnosis again!"

Poliwag's eyes began to glow, but Magikarp shot into the air and came down with another Slam attack. Poliwag attempted to stand up again, but fell. Amy looked at Magikarp in shock, "I can't believe it! How did your Magikarp beat my Poliwag? What the hell was that Waterfall attack?"

Jet's Pokémon cheered Hydra on and Jet said, "It's her secret technique. She doesn't have the power or ability to use a full power Waterfall attack on her own yet. But when your Pokémon used Watergun, she was able to use that attack as a basis for her own!"

Waterfall was a strong, physical water type attack in which the user surrounds themselves with a veil of water and charge at their opponent full force. Jet had been teaching Magikarp the basics of this attack by having her swim up the waterfall.

Amy's eyes widened, "So you taught her _how_ the attack was done so when the conditions were right, she could learn it?"

Jet grinned and said, "Yup! One day she'll be able to do it on her own, but for now I'm very happy with her move set."

Amy shook her head, "Well you definitely made a believer out of me. I didn't think it was possible to train a Magikarp for battle, but you pulled it off. No wonder Grandpa always liked you so much."

Just then, Jet felt something pulling on his leg. He looked down and saw that something was Boulder. "What is it?"

Boulder pointed in the direction of the Pokémon eggs, which had just hatched. Jet's face fell, "Holy shit! Amy, can you grab the berries? I have to clean them!"

The Pokémon all gathered around to see the new babies born into this world. Jet cleaned them while Amy fed them some berries. She smiled and said, "Oh my god these little guys are so fucking cute!"

Jet grinned and checked their genders. "Both females," he informed everyone, "Ok then. This one is Star," he pointed to Cleffa, "and _this_ one is Bubbles."

Amy asked, "How do you keep track of all of their names?"

Jet shrugged, "I'll wait until their asleep before I put them in their Pokeballs. When I get to the next Pokémon Center I'll send them to my house for my brother and sister to look after them."

"Ohh!" Amy said, "You were planning on making them pets for your siblings all along!"

"For now," said Jet, "I'll let them take care of these two until they're older. See if they're ready for their own Pokémon. I'm still keeping them in my name, in case I ever want to recall them."

Amy and Jet fed the babies and put them to sleep. After that Jet recalled them and deposited them to his PC via Pokedex. Once they were done with that, Jet and Amy recalled all of their Pokémon and got started packing up their camp.

"That's the last of it," Jet said while putting away his capsules, "Now we just have to figure out how to get off this Mountain."

Suddenly, Jet and Amy heard screams in the distance; human screams. Amy pointed to the cave and exclaimed, "It's coming from in there!"

Just after her exclamation, a man wearing glasses, hiking clothes, and a fanny pack ran out of the cave, followed by five Zubat. Jet sent out his Pichu and said, "Spark, use Thundershock!"

It was a testament to Spark's hard work during training that he was able to knock out five Zubat in a single attack. Deciding it would be a waste if he didn't, Jet pulled out an empty Pokeball and threw it at one of the unconscious Zubat. Once he did, Amy did the same. Both Zubat were caught, and Pichu was recalled after being showered with praise for his amazing attack.

The trainers collected their bounty and Amy asked, "Are you ok?"

The man who was attacked said, "Oh, thank you so much for your assistance! I thought I was done for! I'm Seymour, Seymour the Scientist!"

Jet looked at Amy, who giggled. He then put out his hand and said, "Jethro the Trainer. This is my associate, Amelia the Bemused."

Seymour, who didn't seem to catch the sarcasm, shook Jet's hand with great enthusiasm, "Nice to meet you, Jethro and Amelia!"

Amy giggled again and said, "Amy's fine. So, how did you get attacked anyway?"

Seymour shrugged and said, "The Zubat in this cave have been very upset since someone put up all of the lights three days ago."

"Lights?" Jet asked. Seymour nodded and said, "I was in this cave looking for Clefairy for my studies, and I noticed that a lot of the caverns have lights that have recently been put up. I plan on reporting this directly to the authorities! Do you know what those lights are doing to those Pokémon? It's disturbing their natural habitat!"

Seymour went on about the dangers of having lights up in the cave. While Jet listened, he also went to register his Zubat in his Pokedex. It was a female at level eleven. Jet named her Mina, and placed her on his belt.

"Now the Zubat can't tell when day is night and night is day!"

"I think you worded that a little weird," Jet said, "but I get your point. Hey, do you know which way Cerulean is?"

Seymour looked flabbergasted, "Haven't you listened to a word I just said?"

Jet nodded and said, "Yeah, but you just told me you were calling the police. Besides, can't you just break the lights if they're causing that much trouble?"

Seymour gasped and said, "I can't do that, it's defacing private property!"

Jet shrugged, "Last time I checked you need a permit to do any excavating in this place, and since you just said in your little speech that you're the only one with a permit to do so, I'd say that makes them trespassers, right?"

Seymour thought about what Jet said, "Umm, I guess you're right. But defacing private property!"

"Look, do you know how to get to Cerulean or not?"

Seymour sighed and said, "Yes, there is a shortcut through the cave. I can show you, since you saved me. Just let me make a phone call to the police first."

Seymour pulled a cell phone from his fanny pack and dialed the numbers. Jet looked at Amy and said, "How do they keep finding me?"

"What?" Amy asked, "I think he's kind of cute. In an eccentric frightened kind of way, but cute!"

Jet laughed and said, "I didn't know you were into fanny packs!"

Amy smirked, "Do I detect the hint of jealousy, Jet? You had Nat, why can't I have my own little fling?"

Jet's smile immediately faded and Amy said, "I'm sorry, Jet, I didn't mean to bring her up."

Jet shrugged, "It's fine."

Amy bit her lip, "Has she called you at all?"

Jet shook his head. Amy said, "Sorry."

"It's fine."

"Ok!" Seymour exclaimed, "There is a Park Ranger that will be here in a half hour to check out the caves! With any luck they'll find out who put up the lights and have them take them down!"

Jet put on a fake smile, "That's great, Seymour."

Seymour smiled wider and said, "Let me escort you through the cave!" He picked up an industrial flashlight that he dropped when the Zubat attacked and said, "Follow me!"

They walked into the cave. Seymour began telling them how he was trying to prove that Clefairy did in fact come from space. Amy glanced at Jet to see if he'd correct Seymour, but his thoughts were on Natalie. As they walked deeper in the cave, Seymour pointed at the lights hanging up, "See, they're all through the caverns! Those poor, poor Pokémon!"

Amy whispered to Jet, "How are Zubat able to see the lights if they're blind?"

Jet whispered back, "They can't, nor would the heat from the lamps bother them. If the Pokémon really had that much of a problem with the lights, they would take them down their selves. Just don't tell that to Seymour the Scientist."

Amy giggled. They arrived in the section of the cave where Amy caught Paras. There was a group of people dressed in black all congregated with boxes of excavation tools. In front of the group, were two people who stood out from the rest. They weren't dressed for manual labor like everyone else; they wore business suits that looked completely out of place in a cave.

There was a male and a female. The man had dark hair that hung down to his shoulders. He also looked very feminine; Jet was sure he had on mascara. The female had red hair that was tied in a tight bun. She was very well endowed and had a very pretty face. She also had a superior look upon said face that seemed to take away from her beauty.

"Why does the boss want us to dig for moon stones anyway? He knows it's a loss cause! This place was cleaned out years ago!" The speaker was one of the men dressed in black.

"Because," said the man in the suit impatiently, "The organization is running low on moonstones ever since that raid last month in Goldenrod, we've all got to do our part."

"Just dig," said the female in a bored voice, "if we don't find anything don't worry about it. We're taking the big one from its display tomorrow anyway."

Seymour suddenly yelled, "Thieves!"

Jet let out a sigh, was this guy serious? They wore outnumbered three to one, and a couple of those crates were marked with explosives. Safe to say it was not a good idea to make their presence known.

"Oh look Jessie," said the man in the suit, "interlopers."

Jessie smiled and said, "You're right, James, not very smart, are they?"

The guys dressed in black all laughed. One of them said, "Shame, we can't just let you walk away now, can we?" They all pulled out Pokeballs. Seymour stammered, "W-wait! The authorities are already on their way! If you use a Pokémon against a human, that's considered murder!"

The woman named Jesse said, "Yeah… that's pretty much the general idea. Kill them!"

The seven guys in black all sent out their Pokémon at once. Seven Sandshrew appeared before them. Jet understood; they were all given Sandshrew to help dig for moonstones. Jet and Amy wasted no time and sent out all of their Pokémon, "Let's go, Thorn, Sora, Boulder, Spark, Hydra, Mina!"

"Go, Ivysaur, Zubat, Hoot-hoot, Poliwag, Paras, Clefable!"

Jesse and James entered the fray, "Go, Koffing!" and "Kill them, Ekans!"

There was a brief moment in which the nine Pokémon on one side stood and glared at the twelve Pokémon on the other. The stalemate was broken, however, when all at once every one shouted, "Attack!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Not exactly team rocket as you remember them, huh? I don't know if I made this clear, but you will not see any uniforms for the villains in this story.**

**Team Rocket in my story is more of a vicious criminal organization that specializes in the trafficking of Pokémon in the black market. There is a lot more to it, but You'll read about that later.**

**Anyway's, Please Review!**


	28. Prepare for Trouble

Prepare for Trouble

Jet's heart thumped as he watched the chaos ensue. He wasn't so much worried for his own Pokémon as he was for the lives of the opposing team. As soon as Thorn and the others caught wind that they were participating in a death match, blood covered the cave walls.

The Sandshrew didn't stand a chance. Thorn ripped through one after another. Sora completely ignored the opposing Pokémon and attacked the trainers. Spark let out a Thundershock so vicious, the lanterns throughout the cave burst.

Both Ekans and Koffing were being pushed back by the little electric mouse. They couldn't hit him; he was way too fast for that shit. But when he hit them, he hit the hard. Jet's hair stood on end for the amount of static electricity that was being released into the air. Sandshrew were being thrown about like crazy by Ivysaur.

No matter how many Pokémon the opposing team kept sending out, they were all getting caught up in the onslaught. Many a Zubat got their wings ripped, many a Rattata got their necks snapped. Jet wanted it to stop, but the opposing force just kept coming!

Hydra found herself facing off against someone's Raticate. It went in for a bite, but Hydra easily avoided the attack with Splash. Unfortunately, though the Magikarp was quick, it didn't have enough force behind her attacks. Her Slam barely registered to her opponent, who got her with a Quick Attack.

Many of the human enemies was now asleep or gravely injured thanks to Sora and Hoot-hoot. Thorn was now facing off against two Sandslash, while Ivysaur was taking care of the underlings. Jessie let out a cry of furry as both Ekans and Koffing were defeated at the hands of Spark, who began to evolve.

Jet watched in wonder as his little Pichu became a Pikachu in the midst of pandemonium. Jessie ran over to one of the boxes and pulled out a stick of dynamite. Both Amy and Jet immediately started recalling their Pokémon as quickly as possible.

"Jessie, what the hell are you doing?" James yelled angrily. Jessie lit a match and said, "Ending this!" She lit the dynamite and said, "Fucking brats, I'll kill you all!"

All of the Pokémon were recalled except Hydra. Jet grabbed her Net Ball and went to recall her. What happened next seemed not only incredible, but highly unbelievable. Just before Jet recalled Hydra, who was bleeding heavily from her battle with Raticate, she launched her final attack.

Raticate went in for the kill just as Hydra used a powerful Flail. Raticate was knocked back twenty feet; right into Jessie who was holding the dynamite. The dynamite was knocked out of her hand and rolled back to the other end of the cavern.

There was a loud BANG that echoed through the cave, and the ceiling began to fall. Jessie moved out the way just as a huge rock came down and crushed Raticate. Jet recalled Hydra and turned to Amy, "RUN!"

They sprinted through the corridor closely followed by Seymour. They were headed back in the direction of the falls when the ground beneath them caved in yet again and they fell.

Jet noticed two things when he opened his eyes. First that his head ached to all holy shit. Second, that there was a person screaming to his left. He turned but could see nothing but pitch blackness. He heard Amy's voice say, "Jet! Send out Charmeleon!"

Jet did as he was told and there was light. Amy was lying in a half fetal position, clutching her ankle. The screaming, however, belonged to none other than Seymour the Scientist.

Jet winced when he saw Seymour's arm sticking out at a crooked angle. The first thing Jet did was go over to Amy and take off his bag. "Here," he told her, "rest your ankle on my bag and don't move it!" Before he put his bag down he searched through his first aid kit until he found an ice pack.

"Rest this on your ankle." Seymour moaned and Jet hurried over to him. "I'm gonna have to rip your shirt to make a sling, ok?" Jet got to work on making a sling for Seymour, who moaned loudly the entire time. Jet tried to calm him down, "It's going to be ok, you'll be fine! We just need to get out of here, and-"

Jet looked at the situation they were in. Half of the caverns in Mt. Moon were probably caved in. He checked his phone and saw that he had no service. He had two injured people on his watch and no idea how to get out.

His heart started pounding dangerously fast. Thorn came over and put his hand on Jet's shoulder. Jet knew he could tell his master was in freak out mode. Thorn looked Jet in the eyes and nodded. Jet smiled.

"Ok Seymour, do you have any pain killers?"

"N-no! I'm s-s-s-sorry!"

Jet went over to Amy. She smiled, "You need to go into your bag again, don't you?"

Jet nodded. She lifted her leg and Jet replaced his bag with hers. Amy grabbed Jet by the hand and said, "Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you specialized in medicine?"

Jet stroked Amy's hair and said, "You can stand to mention it a bit more often."

Jet then distributed painkillers among his patients, along with the last of his berries and water. After treating them, Jet sent out Hydra so he could use a potion on her wounds. Seymour asked, "C-could you use some of that on my arm?"

Jet shook his head, "This stuff works on bruises and lacerations, not broken bones. What kind of scientist are you, anyway?"

Seymour laughed and said, "G-g-geologist."

Jet sprayed some potion on Amy's ankle to help with the bruising. He then found a couple of thin sticks and made her a splint. Jet turned to Thorn and asked, "Can you tell which way the oxygen is coming from?"

Thorn closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again and pointed directly down the tunnel. Jet nodded and told Amy, "You'll have to piggy back it. Thorn can carry the bags."

"W-what about me?" asked Seymour. Jet raised his eyebrows, "You're walking! Unless your legs are broken."

And so they set off. Thorn carried the bags, Amy got on Jet's back, and Seymour whined from the rear. They walked down the corridor for well over ten minutes. Jet's legs were extremely sore from carrying Amy, but he tried his best not to show it.

Soon they came to an area with four different pathways they could take. Amy groaned, "I don't suppose Thorn knows which way to go?"

They suddenly heard the voices of Jessie and James. "I don't care if they killed your Ekans! You do not throw a stick of dynamite in a fucking cave!"

They stopped dead as they saw Jet and Thorn in their way. Thorn growled. James stepped back, "Oops. This isn't the way out, come on Jessie!"

Jessie didn't move. "You think I'm scared of some fucking reptile? Go, Meowth! Go Lickitung!" James hesitated for a second and then sent out one of his own, "Go, Weepinbell!"

Seymour yelped and hid behind Jet. Jet simply sighed, "Make it quick, will you Thorn?"

Thorn dropped the bags and charged forward. He tackled Meowth into James and set Weepinbell on fire. Afterwards he pounced onto Lickitung and clawed at its entire body. Jessie shouted, "Fight back, damn you! I will not be made a fool of!"

Thorn stopped his attack on Lickitung and walked up to Jessie, who started backing up. There was a flash, and Jessie screamed as all of her clothes were torn to shreds, leaving her standing naked, but unharmed. Behind Jet, Seymour got a yelped again and said, "Whoa!"

Amy sighed and said in Jet's ear, "I take back what I said about that guy being cute."

Jet laughed as Jessie and James ran back down the corridor they just came from, the former doing so butt naked. Their Pokémon followed; bloodied, burned, and defeated.

Seymour pushed his glasses back on his face and said, "Wow. That lady was unpleasant, but she sure had a figure!"

Amy sighed and Jet said, "I think we can rule out the way they just came. Let's try this second corridor."

Thorn shook his head and pointed to the third one, and then went down it. Jet smiled and said, "Lead the way!"

Seymour said, "Your Charmeleon is quite a specimen."

Jet nodded, "Thorn is one of a kind. I don't know how I'd ever live my life without him."

They followed Thorn down a series of corridors for what felt like an hour. Jet wasn't sure if there was a record for longest piggy back ride, but he felt like he was real close to setting it. His entire body ached something fierce. He prayed that he'd soon have a reprieve.

It was then that they turned a corner and found the opening to the cave. Jet grinned and savored the sight of daylight. They walked outside and saw a group of cops and firefighters outside along with what looked like several news stations and a crowd of people.

As soon as Jet, Amy, Thorn, and Seymour walked outside the cave, everybody crowded them at once.

"Excuse me? Can you tell us what happened in there?"

"Are there more people in the cave?"

"Do you know the source behind the mysterious explosion?"

Jet ignored the reporters and went up to a cop, "These two need medical attention!"

Jet made sure Amy and Seymour saw the paramedics. Along the way he said "No comment" so many times it was how he answered the medic who asked him if he was hurt, "Sorry, I just don't want to be on TV."

"Jet's shy!" Amy laughed. They put her and Seymour in an ambulance, "Ok, we're taking these two to the hospital."

"Can I go with her? She's one of my best friends."

And so Jet got in the ambulance with Amy. She grinned at him and said, "Some camping trip, huh, Jet?"

Jet stretched his back and said, "Yeah. By the way, you owe me a full backrub."

Amy laughed and said, "Sounds fair. Hey, where are we headed anyway?"

The driver called from the front, "Mercy General in Cerulean."

"Thank god!" Amy said as she leaned back, "I don't ever want to walk again!"

Jet laughed and leaned over and kissed Amy on the forehead. She smiled up at him, "What was that for?"

Jet shrugged and Amy pointed to her lips, "You missed."

Jet smiled again and bent down to kiss Amy, but stopped when they shocked each other, "Ah, static shock."

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes, "Guess it just wasn't meant to be." She then smirked and said to the ambulance driver, "Let's go, I need some meds!"

**Author's Notes:**

**So concludes the little Mt. Moon story arc I had going. Now that Jet and Amy are headed to Cerulean, will they get a chance to meet up with Brian? And if so, what kind of tom-foolery will ensue? What of the cascade badge? Who gets to claim it? Will we be seeing more of Jessie and James? Stay tuned!**

**Btw, just a quick update (After the battle with team rocket);**

***Jet's Team:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn – Lvl.23, Male**

**Pidgeotto/Sora – Lvl.18, Female**

**Pikachu/Spark- Lvl.20, Male**

**Magikarp/Hydra – Lvl.19, Female**

**Geodude/Boulder – Lvl.18, Male**

**Zubat/Mina – Lvl.12, Female**

***Amy's Team:**

**Ivysaur – Lvl.21, Male**

**Hoot-hoot – Lvl.15, Female**

**Poliwag – Lvl.16, Male**

**Paras – Lvl.14, Male**

**Clefairy – Lvl.14, Female**

**Zubat – Lvl.13, Male**

***Jessie's Team:**

**Ekans – Lvl.14, Female**

**Lickitung – Lvl.15, Male**

**Meowth – Lvl.14, Male (No he cannot talk :P)**

***James' Team:**

**Koffing – Lvl.16, Male**

**Weepinbell – Lvl.22, Male**

**I'll leave the rest up to your imaginations.**


	29. The Great Sea Serpent

**Author's Notes:**

**I was asked in a review why Zubat was given the nickname Mina. It's an obscure reference, but Mina was one of Dracula's brides. In Bram Stoker's tale, Dracula was killed by Van Helsing before he could completely drain Mina, who was the fiancé to some aristocrat, I think. Anyway's like I said the reference was obscure, but I like the name. If anyone has any questions about the story at all, post a comment and I'll get back to you.**

**I just read that Ash's Pikachu had lost to a Snivy. Not just any Snivy, but one that supposedly had never battled before; his trainer certainly hasn't. This is why the anime annoys the fuck out of me. It was all peaches and cream when I was little and the first season came out but, SERIOUSLY?**

**This kid has been in battles against undefeated champions and has come out victorious. We're talking the same Pikachu that once defeated Lt. Surge's Raichu with nothing but speed, and they couldn't cook up away to take down a level five Snivy? Even if he couldn't use electric attacks at the time, you mean to tell me he couldn't muster the umph to knock it out with a quick attack?**

**I mean there's beginners luck and then there's just plain wrong. I swear Ash and Pikachu have no form of character development. I guess that's what you get when you have a kid who's been ten for over ten years. But enough of my rant…**

The Great Sea Serpent

Amy limped out of the bathroom and hopped into her bed. It had been a very eventful day. Not only were they attacked in a cave where Amy ended up spraining her ankle, but they spent the first three and a half hours in Cerulean City at a hospital getting Amy a splint and some crutches.

They grabbed a room at the local Pokémon Center and washed up. Jet then left Amy to her own devices while he went down stairs to pick their Pokémon up from the infirmary. Amy groaned as she put her leg on the bed, "When will these god damn pain killers start working?"

The door to the room opened and Jet walked in, two paper bags. He passed one to Amy and said, "Your Pokémon are in this one, as is your dinner. Bacon ranch cheeseburger, with extra onions and extra pickles."

"Aww." Amy cooed, "You remembered! By the way, what took you so long?"

Jet shrugged and said, "I sent the Cleffa and the Igglybuff to the twins. I told them if they could take good care of my Pokémon until I need them then I'll catch them something good."

"How did they like that?"

Jet laughed, "They were fucking ecstatic!"

Jet put his phone on a charger and yawned. Amy asked, "Did Brian say where he was meeting us tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Jet answered, "He texted and said we're meeting at someplace called the Nugget Bridge. It's a hot spot for the local trainers."

Jet started to get undressed and went to brush his teeth. He came back in the room in a t-shirt and boxers and told Amy, "Move over."

Amy sucked her teeth and scooted, "You could at least say please!"

Jet laid down and said, "My bad, I'm just tired is all."

Jet set the alarm for ten and Amy smiled, "Letting us sleep in, are you?"

"Go to sleep, Amy."

It seemed almost like as soon as Jet closed his eyes the alarm woke him again. "The fuck?" mumbled Amy sleepily, "Turn it off, Jet."

He didn't need telling twice, Jet turned off the alarm and sat up. "We have to meet Brian at noon. That gives us time to get some food and find this place."

"That also gives me time to lay here for another fifteen minutes," Amy yawned, "Wake me gently, will you?"

After breakfast, Amy and Jet went to head to the Nugget Bridge. Jet had on him four Pokémon; His Charmeleon, Pidgeotto, Pikachu, and his Magikarp. The others Jet had deposited for now, as he heard there were some grass type Pokémon on the other side of the Nugget Bridge.

The bus pulled up and let them off. Amy took a little longer thanks to the crutches. They then had to walk down the road until they found the bridge they were looking for; the Gorge Nugget Bridge. It was a bridge that crossed over the river. Cars were not allowed on it as there was another bridge down the road for them. This one was meant for runners, cyclist, and apparently trainers as well.

"Call Brian and tell him to meet us here, I'm not walking any further on this ankle."

Jet and Amy waited for Brian; Amy sitting on a bench and Jet leaning against a lamp post. About twenty feet from them, a couple of local trainers were having a battle amongst themselves. One was using a Pidgey, the other a Rattata. Jet watched with interest until he heard Brian's voice, "Got to love the locals, always using the same damn Pokémon."

Jet turned around and grinned, "What took you?" They hugged and Brian said, "Jeez, it only took me five minutes to walk here after you called! How are you beautiful?" he added to Amy.

She motioned for him to come in for a hug and said, "Seen better days. I missed you! Now we're all together again!"

Brian smiled and sat down next to Amy. Jet leaned back up against the lamp post and stuck his hands in his pockets, "How long you been in Cerulean?"

"Couple weeks now. I told you I loss at the Gym, right?"

Jet nodded, "Yeah, you called me about it last week. You said she uses mostly water Pokémon?"

"They," Brian corrected Jet, "There are three sisters that run that Gym. They all train water Pokémon."

Amy rolled her eyes, "What's up with these Gym leaders and only using one type?"

Brian shook his head, "Not the Gym in Chestnut Hill, that guy used a fire type and an electric type against me. The Gym over here though, it was a six on six."

Jet shrugged, "I did a six on six in Pewter, that's some intense shit."

They talked about their trips for well over an hour. Brian was surprised by the amount of danger Jet had been through in the forest and in the caves.

Brian, they were told, was living it up in Chestnut Hill. Apparently the Gym there doubled as a contest hall. Brian signed up there to train his Pokémon for about three weeks, and then entered the Pokémon Contest with his newly evolved Wartortle, which won best in breed. After getting a contest ribbon, Brian had defeated the Gym leader in a two on two match on his first try.

He had also had a brief fling with a girl who was a Pokémon Coordinator working at the Gym. "It wasn't anything serious, but I did get a-" He stopped and looked at Amy, who said, "As much as I heard you two talk about sex at work do you really think I mind if some random chick performed fellatio on you?"

"It was actually a hand job," Jet interjected, "Brian told me already."

"_Two_ hand jobs, Jet." Brian corrected him, "but then she started dating someone else, and I headed for Cerulean. But you know all about that, right?"

"Yup." Jet said nonchalantly, "Been there."

Brian frowned and asked, "Didn't that guy cheat on her? Why did she go back to him anyway?"

Amy sighed and said, "Because she was still in love with him. Oh, and apparently he's not too bad in bed, either."

"Yeah," said Jet, "I figured it was something like that."

Brian hesitated and asked, "Do you miss her?"

Jet smiled and said, "Well, yeah! I really did like her. Oh, did Amy tell you about Seymour the Scientist?"

Brian turned to Amy and grinned, "No, she did not!"

Amy sighed and told Brian about Seymour's role in their little adventure. Brian laughed and Amy asked, "What? I just thought he was cute, that's all! I think you two are cute, too."

Brian rolled his eyes and said, "That guy sounds like he needs to get laid!"

Amy snorted and said, "Look who's talking! The only one here who's not a virgin is me."

"Oh, please," Brian said, "By a minor technicality!"

"Getting a hand job does not mean you lose your virginity, Brian!" Amy laughed.

"Yeah, yeah; just cause you did it with Brett, does not make you an expert! Jet, what do you think? Hand job, does that make me a whole virgin, or a half a virgin?"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "What the fuck is a half-virgin? A virgin is a virgin."

Amy exclaimed, "Exactly! Majority rules!"

Brian leaned back and said, "Ah, what does he know? He's no closer to getting laid as Seymour the Scientist."

Jet laughed and said, "I don't need to get laid."

"Scuse me?" Brian asked.

"I'm like a monk. I'm perfectly content the way I am. Besides, that's what college is for."

Brian laughed, "Keep telling yourself that, pal!"

Amy giggled and said, "Aww, Jet, that's a shame! I was going to wait until my ankle healed and rock your world!"

"I withdraw my earlier statement." Jet said with a smirk.

"Too late," said Amy dismally, "the shop has already been closed."

"Umm," Brian asked, "Is there something going on between the two of you?"

Both Jet and Amy said, "No." nonchalantly.

Amy added, "It's kind of a turn off anyway when Jet called me 'Natalie' when he was half asleep three days ago."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "I did?"

Amy nodded and said, "Yeah, lover boy, you definitely did."

Jet ran his hand threw his hair and said, "I don't remember that at all."

Amy shrugged and said, "Yeah well, you _were_ just waking up at the time."

Jet looked out to the water. He had absolutely no recollection of calling Amy Natalie. It slightly annoyed him that it was taking this long to get over her. But then, he really did like her a lot.

Brian interrupted Jet's thoughts, "Yo, let's have a battle. See how much stronger you got?"

Jet looked over at Brian and said, "Yeah sure. Sounds fun!"

He walked away from the lamp post and stood a good twelve feet from Brian, who smiled and asked, "What kind of TM did you get from the Gym in Pewter? Cause I'll put up mine for Flame Burst if you got something good!"

Jet said, "How about Rock Tomb?"

Brian thought about it, "That_ is_ a good one, but…"

"Rock Tomb plus five hundred bucks if I lose? I really want that TM!"

Brian grinned, "You got a deal, my friend!"

Jet then enlarged a pokeball and sent out his Pidgeotto. Brian grinned and sent out a Fearow, "Wow, doesn't this look familiar? You got my Spearow with that feint thingy last time, but he's a much better flyer now!"

Amy said, "I'm not getting up to be the editor, but, BEGIN!"

Both bird Pokémon took to the sky. They began to circle each other, while waiting for commands from their trainers. Below, a few passerby's stopped to watch; it wasn't every day they got to see a Fearow battle a Pidgeotto.

Brian went first, "Use Fury Attack!"

"Sora, use Gust!"

Sora's attack missed as Fearow pulled off a quick dodge and went in for the Fury Attack. Jet winced as Sora was repeatedly pecked and said, "Use Scratch!"

Sora leaned back in midair and slashed at her opponent with her sharp talons. Fearow moved back just in time, however, and began to circle Sora, looking for an opening. Brian was right; Fearow is a much better flyer now.

"Use Aerial Ace, Fearow!"

"Use another Gust!"

Fearow flipped in midair, and then shot at Sora like a javelin. Sora sent two gusts of wind slicing through the air after Fearow, but it somehow avoided Sora's attack and struck home.

Sora fell a couple of meters before pulling back up, and Fearow hit her with another Aerial Ace. Brian said, "Good job, now hit it with Steel Wing!"

Jet said, "What?"

Fearow's wings began to emit a metallic glow, and then it shot through the air, almost too fast to see. Sora was hit and began to fall to the ground. Jet recalled her and said, "She's out, your Fearow won that round!"

Brian grinned and said, "Not bad, huh? I knew you'd get stronger, so I worked my ass off to take you on!"

Jet was completely surprised. He knew Brian was a great trainer, but his Pidgeotto had never been outmatched by another bird before. Let alone to that degree!

Jet sighed and put away Sora's Pokeball, "Let's go, Spark!"

Jet's Pikachu was sent out. Brian called up to Fearow, "Stay in the sky, where its attacks can't reach you!"

Jet smiled, "It's got to come down some time."

Brian shook his head and said, "Use Gust!"

Jet was surprised when Fearow pulled off yet another unexpected move, but Spark easily dodged it. Jet said, "There is no way you're going to hit my Pikachu with a projectile from that far. You got to come down some time!"

Brian seemed to be mulling it over in his head. He did not seem happy with his options, "Fearow, return! Go, Sandslash!"

Jet grinned, "Spark return! I'm impressed, you got your whole team from last time to evolve! Good shit, but not good enough. Let's go, Thorn!"

Charmeleon was sent out, guns blazing. He wasted no time in striking his opponent with Metal Claw. Brian said, "Use rollout!"

Jet said, "Break his guard with Hidden Power!"

Just as Jet's Mankey once did against Brock's Geodude, Thorn interrupted Sandslash's Rollout with Hidden Power. Sandslash was knocked back, and Jet said, "Use Ember!"

Thorn let out a short torrent of flames which knocked his opponent back. Keeping Thorn on the offensive, Jet said, "Use Dragon Rage!"

Thorn shot a ball of energy from his mouth at his foe, which got a direct hit. Sandslash was knocked back again, this time a good ten feet. Jet smiled and said, "Finish him with Dragon Rage!"

"Dodge it, Sandslash!"

But Thorn was too quick, and Sandslash was KO'd. Brian sighed and recalled his unconscious Pokémon. "That's some Dragon Rage. You did a good job with Thorn."

Jet said, "Thanks, you did a good job with your Pokémon, too."

Brian nodded, "Ok, let's do it, Wartortle!"

As much as Jet wanted to see these two do battle, he had a different plan in mind. "Thorn, return! Go, Hydra!"

Jet's Magikarp was sent into the fray. Amy raised her eyebrows, _Why is sending out his Magikarp against such a skilled opponent?_

The crowd that had been steadily gathering as the match went on began to point and laugh, "Didn't he have a Pikachu? Why is he sending out that thing?"

"He's not a very good trainer, is he? Probably bought all of his Pokémon second hand!"

Brian cocked an eyebrow and said, "Come on, you can't be serious? Putting aside the fact that you even own a Magikarp, you would send it out in battle? Against my Wartortle?"

Jet gritted his teeth, "Hydra, Tackle!"

Everyone gasped as Hydra shot across the no man's land and hit Wartortle, who was obviously caught unawares. Wartortle was knocked back into Brian, and they both fell backwards. Amy gave a soft, "Whoa."

Jet smirked, "Don't look down on her, she doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit."

Hydra hissed at Brian. Wartortle recovered quickly and looked at Magikarp as though he's never seen anything her. Brian stood up and grunted, "You want Wartortle to end your Magikarp, fine with me! Use Watergun!"

"Waterfall!"

Just as Hydra did with Poliwag, she used Wartortle's Watergun to strike with Waterfall. She shot through the torrent of water and knocked Wartortle dead in the face, breaking his nose. Everyone let out another cry of shock, "Did you just see that?"

"Did that Magikarp just use a _Waterfall?_"

"Bet you weren't expecting that," said Jet to Brian, who looked nothing short of stunned, "Now use Slam!"

Hydra flipped over and slammed her tail against Wartortle's head, knocking his face into the asphalt. Wartortle tried to get up but stumbled, and Jet said, "Use tackle!"

Wartortle was knocked back again. Brian said, "Fight back! Use bite!"

"Splash!"

Hydra jumped high into the air, and Jet yelled, "Now use Bounce!"

Hydra dropped down and slammed Wartortle's head again. Jet grinned, _Hydra doesn't have the power to pull that move off properly yet, but she's definitely getting the basics! Best way to teach a Pokémon to fight is to get them to fight stronger opponents!_

Brian gritted his teeth, _How the hell is this Magikarp so good? What is Jet playing at?_

Brian then shouted, "Attack with Pound!"

"Bounce!"

Hydra bounced high into the sky. Amy thought to herself, _This must be why he spent so much time developing Magikarp's Splash! I thought it was just defensive, but he actually made it into a powerful offensive attack!_

"Dodge it when it comes down, Wartortle!"

Wartortle readied himself, nose still bleeding freely, to avoid the incoming attack. When Hydra was close to hitting her target, Wartortle jumped back. Hydra repositioned herself and rolled so she wouldn't harm herself when she missed.

Both Pokémon then stood facing each other, both out of breath. Brian said, "Use Take Down!"

"Use Tail Whip!"

Wartortle withdrew in his shell and shot at his opponent. Hydra waited for the opportune moment and, with reflexes born of her training, swung around at the last possible second and redirected Wartortle's attack with her tail.

Wartortle crashed into the metal rail that prevented people from going over the bridge and got stuck. Wartortle tried to get out, but to no avail. Jet asked Amy, "Hey, if Wartortle is stuck, doesn't that technically make him unable to battle?"

Brian stood in shock as his Wartortle tried but failed to escape the rail in which he was stuck. He tried propelling backwards with watergun, but nothing. He tried to twist and turn, but nothing happened.

Amy said, "It looks like Wartortle is unable to battle. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Magikarp is the winner!"

Hydra looked at Amy and then started to glow. The crowd let out another collective gasp as she started growing at an alarming rate. Some people screamed; some ran. Brian, however, fell to his knees and gazed in awe at the sight that was Jet's Gyarados.

"The fuck?" said Brian, faintly. Amy whispered, "Oh my!"

Jet however, ran up to Hydra and shouted, "I knew you could do it girl! I knew you had it in you!"

Hydra suddenly turned her body and put her head inches from Jet's face at an alarming rate. People started screaming again. Jet, however, put his hand on her brow and said, "I'm so proud of you. That was an awesome match! Way to show them how it's done!"

Hydra let out a low growl. She then closed her eyes, and nudged Jet with her head affectionately. Amy gave a nervous laugh, "Still friendly towards you, who'd have thought it?"

Jet recalled his Gyarados, saying, "You've earned a nice, long rest for today!"

Jet then turned to Brian and asked, "Ready to finish?"

Brian shook his head and recalled his Wartortle, "You win. Hands down. I have nothing that can beat your Gyarados; for god's sake it beat Wartortle while it was a fucking Magikarp! Here, come get your TM. A fucking _Gyarados_? Who would have thought you would have a five star Pokémon within the first two months of your journey? _A Gyarados?_"

Jet collected his prize and grinned, "You did good, you really did!"

Brian snorted, "I've got a lot to learn if you can beat my Wartortle with a Magikarp. That thing should have a fucking best in breed ribbon!"

Jet smiled and said, "Yeah, but it was mainly because you two underestimated Hydra. That slowed your reaction time in the beginning. And when Hydra busted Wartortle's nose, well, ever try fighting with a broken nose? It's not easy, especially against a well-trained opponent."

"So I loss because I underestimated you?" Brian asked, "I will not make that mistake again."

Jet put his new TM away and Amy said, "Great battle guys! Especially you, Jet! Please tell Hydra not to kill me for ever doubting her?"

Jet smiled and looked around. The crowd of people all ran away when Jet's Magikarp evolved. He grinned and re-registered Hydra in his Pokedex as a Gyarados.

A cop car suddenly pulled up. Brian said, "Uh-oh."

Jet looked at Brian and said, "Relax, we didn't do anything illegal."

The cops got out the car and walked over to the trio, "We just got a report that a Gyarados was terrorizing the area. Did you three see anything?"

Jet got mad, "She wasn't terrorizing anything! My Magikarp just won a battle and evolved, I already recalled her, no harm done."

The cops looked at each other and then looked at Jet, "That doesn't sound very likely."

Amy piped up, "It's true! And he's a Class A trainer, so it's completely legal."

Jet showed the officers his license. They confirmed it was real and handed it back. "So," one of the cops asked, "Can I see it?"

Jet cocked an eyebrow, "Huh?"

The cop laughed, "It's not every day you get to see a Gyarados, unless this is all just some made up story."

Jet grinned and said, "Stand back!"

Pulling his net ball back out, Jet said, "Come on out, Hydra!"

The cop's facial expression went from amused to terrified in a manner of seconds. His partner looked simply awed, "Can I… touch it?"

Jet laughed and said, "Ask her."

The cop held out his hand and called up to Hydra, "Do you mind if I get a picture with you?"

Hydra lowered her head and everyone but Jet flinched. She snorted and shook her head. Jet smiled, "Ah well. Is that all, officers?"

The cop nodded vigorously and said, "You can put it away now!"

"Her," Jet said, "Her name is Hydra, like the great sea serpent of legend."

**Author's Notes:**

**Now Jet has a five star Pokémon, the most dangerous kind. Bet Brock doesn't stand a chance now. By the way, in my story a Pokémon can have up to three types, though few have. I only did this because I planned on making Gyarados and Charizard part Dragon Type. The Pokémon franchise itself switches its rules up every five years so why can't I?**

**Just a little update;**

***Jet's Team:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn – Lvl.23, Male**

**Gyarados/Hydra – Lvl.20, Female**

**Pidgeotto/Sora – Lvl.18, Female**

**Pikachu/Spark- Lvl.20, Male**

***Brian's Team:**

**Wartortle – Lvl.21 Male**

**Fearow – Lvl.20 Male**

**Sandslash – Lvl.22 Male**

**Heracross – Lvl.17 Male**

**Growlithe – Lvl.19 Male**

**Tangela – Lvl.16 Female**

**I'm not posting Amy's team because there are no changes from the last chapter. Just a little background information, the Heracross and the Tangela were both caught in Chestnut fields, just outside of Chestnut Hill. If you can imagine it as an area just east of Viridian City, which has mostly grass, bug, and bird type Pokémon.**

**The Growlithe was won at level 13 in a battle. The stakes were Heracross and Sandshrew for Growlithe. The trainer didn't know about Wartortle and got his ass kicked. I would have written them in but the battle would be too long. You'll see them all real soon, though.**

**So, now Amy, Brian, and Jethro are all together again! Jethro is now the proud owner of a Gyarados! And Cerulean City is now waiting for them! What challenges will they face there? What is the next Gym like? Will Amy ever find better painkillers? Stay tuned!**

**And as always, please review!**


	30. Gary Oak

Gary Oak

Jet walked out of the bathroom and went over the table Amy and Brian were sitting at. They stopped at a sports bar to grab some food after dropping their Pokémon off at the center.

"You're food's here already," said Brian, "me and Amy had some of your fries already, they're amazing!"

Jet sat down and tried a fry, "Oh damn, that _is_ good. Who would have thought putting ranch and bacon bits on cheese-fries made them a hundred times better?"

"Yeah well," Amy interjected, "Keep eating shit like that and you'll end up with a pot belly by time you're thirty."

Jet, choosing yet another ranch cheese fry, answered, "Do you know how much weight I lost eating forest critters and berries for the past month? I could stand to order a few more of these."

Brian grabbed a fry as well, "So, you hear about this battle club near Cerulean Cape?"

Jet shook his head, "Nope, what's it like a place for local trainers?"

"I heard about it just today, it's owned by this guy named Bill something. I looked it up on my phone, and guy that owns it did some sort of web design for the Pokémon Storage System."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "Bill Brooke?"

Brian sipped his soda and asked, "You've heard of him?"

"Yeah, you have too. He was the regional champion five years ago, then he ended up making a shit ton of money with the storage system."

Amy asked, "How do you go from being a league champion to web design?"

"I don't know," Jet said, "but that guy's rich beyond belief."

"So," Brian looked from Amy to Jet, "You guys want to check it out? Could be fun, right?"

Amy smiled, "Yeah; that does sound like fun!"

Jet, however, declined, "You two go ahead. I've got some training to do."

Amy sighed, "Come on, Jet! All you do is train, get out there and have some real battles!"

"Ok, first of all," Jet began, "the reason I always win is _specifically_ because me and my Pokémon are always training. Second of all, I have to re-teach Hydra how to maneuver herself during a battle. She went from a small fish body to a giant serpentine body; that's one hell of an adjustment to make."

"Oh yeah," Amy's face fell a little, "I haven't thought of that."

Jet sat back and said, "You two should go! Don't let me stop you; I'm probably going to be out of commission for the next few days."

And so, the next morning, Amy said her goodbyes to Jet as he checked out of the Pokémon Center and went to train on route twenty-four. Brian and Amy had already decided that they weren't going to leave until later that afternoon, so they went out to get some lunch and catch up more. They found themselves eating outside of a Sonic.

"So he agrees to the bet," Brian grinned, "but he didn't know about my Wartortle! We knocked out all of his fire types one by one. So, in the end I got the Growlithe."

"Well," Amy asked, "does he listen to you? I mean, you aren't his original trainer."

"Yeah, he has some animosity towards me," Brian frowned, "that's why I don't use him in battles. He has to obey a direct order, though."

"I know that," Amy said, "If his OT gave him to you that passes the bond right?"

"I just got to show him I'm a good trainer somehow," Brian scratched his head, "I probably should have asked Jet for advice before he left. It's like impossible to call him when he's training; he always has his phone off."

Amy shrugged, "It's to save batteries, he says. But if your phone is off the whole time, what's the point?"

Amy's phone started to vibrate suddenly, "Watch this be him!" She looked down at the caller ID and frowned. Brian asked, "Who is it?"

"I don't know, some number I never saw before," she said, "Ignore." Amy added to herself in an undertone. The phone immediately started vibrating again as the mystery caller persisted. This time Amy answered, "Who's this?"

A low, raspy voice said, "I've been watching you, Amy! That sandwich you're eating looks so tasty, can I have a bite? Hahahaha!"

Amy looked around and saw no body watching. She put the phone back to her ear, "Jet, if this is you then this isn't funny!"

"Oh, I'm not Jet, but I'm definitely someone from your past!"

Amy looked around again and mumbled, "Who the fu-"

Her brother's voice answered from behind her, "Got you!"

Amy turned around and squealed. She immediately stood up and hugged her brother, Gary. "Oh my god, Gary! What are you doing in Cerulean City?"

Gary grinned at his little sister, "I came down here to get my Class A! I told grandpa not to let you know I was in the area so I could surprise you!"

"What? You have your Class A license?"

Gary pulled a card from his wallet, "Just passed the test a couple of weeks ago. Heard you were in Cerulean so I drove down to see you! This your boyfriend?"

Amy raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh, no this is my best friend, Brian! We used to work together, and now we're traveling with my other friend, Jet."

Brian stood up and shook Gary's hand, "Nice to meet you, bro."

Gary was in his early twenties. He was a couple inches taller than Brian, and he dressed like he had money. His hair was brown, and his face looked just like his sisters. He had a superior smile on as he shook Brian's hand, "One of Gramps' aids who decided to leave the nest and make it big for himself, huh? I hope you're looking out for my baby sister!"

Amy punched Gary in the arm and said, "Be nice!"

Gary looked around and asked, "Where's the other one you were talking about?"

"Umm, off training somewhere." Amy answered lamely. Gary looked down at her foot, which was in a splint, and asked, "So those crutches are yours? What happened? Your Pokémon too much to handle?"

Gary sat down with Amy and Brian as they caught him up on everything that's been happening so far. They pretty much glossed over Brian's adventures in Chestnut Hill and Jet's escapades in the Viridian Forest; Gary only cared about his sister's story.

"So, he carried you all the way through the tunnel?"

"Yup! And the ambulance took me here, where we met up with Brian!"

Gary laughed, "Wow, that sounds like some adventure! Your friend sounds like a good trainer, aside from the fact that he's wasting his time training a Magikarp."

"He evolved it into a Gyarados," Brian butted in, "just yesterday."

Gary snorted, "Yeah, right. That's impossible; it takes years to turn a Magikarp into a Gyarados in the wild, and I never heard of a trainer ever doing it before. They usually catch them after they evolve, and even that's a task! Even supposing you're lucky enough to find a wild Gyarados, it's suicide to try and catch one. Your friend is wasting his time."

"He's not joking, Gary. Jet evolved his Magikarp yesterday in the middle of a battle with Brian. It was unbelievable."

Gary looked from one to the other and smirked, "You seem convincing, but I'll have to see it for myself. A Gyarados, yeah fucking right!"

Amy giggled. Brian rolled his eyes and asked, "So, how long you here for?"

"Well," Gary answered, "Since I'm here I was thinking about checking out the local Gym, maybe even get my first badge."

Amy smiled, "We were going to check it out too, but we wanted to check out this battle club in Cerulean Cape first."

Gary asked, "They got a battle club? Is it any good?"

"No idea," Brian said while sipping his soda, "That's why we're going to check it out tonight."

Gary smiled and said, "Sounds good, I can drive us over there. Before we head out though, I wanted to have a battle with you, sis."

Amy looked surprised, "That sounds like an idea! But, we got to find a good spot though. There's a bridge not too far from here that we're aloud to battle on."

Gary leaned back and said, "Finish your meal and we'll head over. I want to see how good of a trainer my little sister is!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry for the lack of updates but I've been busy. This chapter is short but the next one will see Gary Oak in action. What kind of Pokémon did he raise? Is he any better than Amy? And what about the battle club? What kind of trainers will our heroes face? What is Bill like? How is Jet's training going? With all of these trainers going after the cascade badge, who will be the one to earn it?**

**Find out in the next few installments, as we dive head first into the Cerulean City arc of our story!**


	31. Sibling Rilvary

Sibling Rivalry

Jet watched with bated breath as a wild Abra napped noiselessly by a tree. He had come out to this area just outside of Cerulean to train his Pokémon. He looked around for a good half-hour to find a good spot to start training. Although the area he found was not an ideal training spot, a wild Abra definitely made his search worth it.

He slowly drew an empty premier ball from his bag. He attempted to enlarge it as noiselessly as he could. The Abra did not stir, so he threw the ball. Normally, he would try to battle a Pokémon before catching it, but he didn't want this one to teleport away.

The wild Abra was sucked into the premier ball. Apparently it was in a very deep sleep because it did not fight being captured. The ball clicked and Jet picked up his new Pokémon to register it.

"Let's see," he said to himself, "Level ten, male. Of course his strong points _would_ be his speed and special attack. Attacks include Teleport; that's useful. Rest, and Telekinesis. I suppose Telekinesis can be used offensively; like Psycho used to do. I can teach him Hidden Power, and I'll just figure things out from there."

Jet registered the new Abra under his name and grinned, "I'm calling you Neo!"

**XXX**

Amy rode shotgun while Brian sat in the back of Gary's Corvette. Brian had been right; Gary _was_ loaded. Apparently both him and Amy have a trust fund, but only have access to the money once they get out of college. Brian had to admit though, if one was to go on a Pokémon journey than this was the way to do it; with style.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the nugget bridge. Gary parked and they made their way to an area fit for battle, (if somewhat slowly due to Amy's ankle). Once they found the right spot just off the bridge, Gary said, "No wagers. Just an honest battle between me and my baby sister!"

"Ok, but I should warn you," Amy smiled, "I ain't no baby!"

Gary smirked and said, "Whatever makes you happy, three on three sound good?"

Amy nodded and said, "Ready when you are!"

Gary took out a great ball and sent his first Pokémon into battle, "Let's go, Umbreon!"

A black and yellow Pokémon appeared that looked like a cross between a dog and a cat. Amy struggled with her crutches for a second, but then sent out Ivysaur.

The two Pokémon readied themselves for battle for a second, and then Brian shouted, "Begin!"

"Umbreon, Night-slash!"

"Ivysaur, Vine whip!"

Umbreon quickly avoided Ivysaur's attack and slashed his side. Ivysaur let out a low growl, and then turned and bit Umbreon's tail. Gary yelled, "Use sand attack!"

Umbreon kicked sand in Ivysaur's eyes with its hind legs, and then kicked Ivysaur off its tail. Gary grinned and said, "Now use Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge it, Ivysaur!"

Umbreon's eyes went black, and it created an ball of dark energy at its brow. After charging it to a considerable size, the Shadow Ball was shot at Ivysaur, who dodged it immediately and used Growl. Umbreon winced and went in for a Tackle. Amy said, "Use Body Slam!"

Ivysaur pounced just before Tackle was about to hit him and slammed into his opponent. Gary yelled, "Use Dig!"

Suddenly there was no one under Ivysaur as Umbreon buried deep underground. Amy called to Ivysaur, "Use your vine whip to pull him from the ground!"

Ivysaur quickly got up and did as was told. He wasn't quick enough, however, and was knocked into the air by Umbreon's attack. Amy gritted her teeth; this was not going well for Ivysaur. She called out, "Ivysaur, use your Leech Seed!"

Ivysaur landed safely on the ground and shot a well-aimed Leech Seed at Umbreon. The latter winced when the attack took hold and began draining its energy. Gary yelled, "Use Shadow Ball!" at the same time Amy said, "Now try using Takedown!"

The result was disastrous for Ivysaur. The poor Pokémon ran head first into Umbreon's powerful Shadow Ball attack. He was knocked back several meters. Umbreon was released from the Leech Seed, and Gary grinned, "Finish him with Quick Attack!"

In that moment when Ivysaur was about to be out for the count, his memory flashed back to his basic training:

_"Remember, Bulbasaur, you're on four legs so you can't dodge the same way as Charmander and Squirtle," Jet said, "You have to roll out of the way of attacks like this."_

Ivysaur lifted his head up and rolled sideways just before getting hit with Umbreon's Quick Attack. Ivysaur rolled to his feet again, albeit exhausted from the Shadow Ball. He then thought back to a strategy Jet had taught him for when he was in a tight corner. As Umbreon positioned itself for another strike, Ivysaur decided this situation called for it.

Ivysaur let out a Growl. Once he saw his opponent hesitate he went in for a Tackle. Umbreon was knocked back several feet; the strategy was working. Using Growl again, Ivysaur got his opponent to flinch before recovering; allowing him the perfect window for another Tackle.

After this second strike, however, Gary got wise to Ivysaur's strategy, "He's trying to phase you with his Growl, use Dig!"

Umbreon immediately went underground. Ivysaur looked at Amy for instructions. Amy knew that Ivysaur wouldn't be able to handle another dig, so she recalled him and sent out Hoot-Hoot.

"Stay in the air!"

Hoot Hoot flapped its little wings in an attempt to stay airborne, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the receiving side of Umbreon's Dig. Hoot Hoot was knocked into the air and fell straight on her face. Amy gritted her teeth and said, "Hoot Hoot, use Growl!"

Hoot Hoot got up and growled with all its might. Umbreon flinched again as the Growls were beginning to take their toll. His ears were now ringing, and his head felt as though it were suspended in jello. But he had to carry on; he couldn't be beaten by a simple Hoot Hoot! His master would so disappointed! So Umbreon fought through the headache, and went in for a Takedown.

"Use Growl, Hoot Hoot!"

Hoot Hoot growled again and Umbreon winced. Hoot Hoot then jumped Umbreon's attack, which didn't have the speed or force behind it as it usually did. Amy smiled, _That Umbreon is getting worn out! Just a little more and Hoot Hoot might be able to take him out!_

Gary watched as his Umbreon winced in pain. Those growls were severely cutting into his attack power, and Shadow Ball wouldn't affect Hoot Hoot. He had to end this quickly, "Give them a taste of their own medicine; use Snarl!"

Gary then covered his ears as Umbreon sent out a powerful, sinister sound wave at Hoot Hoot. Amy and Brian covered their ears too. But as Hoot Hoot was the target of the attack, she got the full force of Umbreon's Snarl. The attack was a sound based wave that used dark aura to fuel its power. It was similar to Round, except the dark aura helped to lower the target's special attack. Hoot Hoot screeched and flinched when hit with the attack.

Gary then said, "Finish it with Night Slash, Umbreon!"

Umbreon gathered its energy and shot at his opponent. Hoot Hoot dropped, unconscious, after being hit with the attack. Amy recalled her Hoot Hoot as Umbreon panted, waiting for the next opponent.

"Go, Poliwag!"

"Umbreon, return!" Gary recalled his Pokémon, "You could use a rest after that fight! Now, let's go, Elekid!"

Amy gritted her teeth; an electric type going against her Poliwag was not good. She needed to act fast, "Use Hypnosis!"

"Hit em with your Thundershock!"

Elekid's attack hit first, and it was over almost before it even began. Amy recalled her Poliwag, which was now KO'd, and sent back out Ivysaur.

Gary smirked, "This one again? It doesn't have the umph to go on, Amy. It's just going to get hurt."

"Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"

Ivysaur sent several sharp projectiles at Elekid, who was caught unaware. The leaves knocked him back and left several cuts along his front. Elekid let out a cry and pulled one of the projectiles from his arm. Gary gasped as his Pokémon started to bleed freely and said, "Your foe is still weak, use Quick Attack!"

Elekid stood up and charged at his opponent. Ivysaur wasn't going to let a little thing like weariness stop him, however, and used Takedown to face the little electric Pokémon head on.

With Ivysaur's superior strength, he knocked his opponent back a couple of feet. Elekid rolled to his feet but stumbled. Amy took advantage and had Ivysaur press his opponent back, "Use another Razor Leaf!"

Elekid let out a cry of pain as he was cut once again by multiple razor-sharp projectiles. More than a few leaves were sticking out from his body, this time, and the blood flow was now too much to ignore. Gary recalled his Pokémon, "Return, Elekid! Go, Doduo!"

A large, two headed bird was sent forth, and Amy was once again at a type advantage. Thinking it best to try to put her opponent to sleep again, she said, "Use Sleep Powder, quick!"

Ivysaur immediately sent a purple spore at his opponent, but Gary said, "Jump over it and use Pluck!"

Doduo jumped over the powder and dove at its opponent. It was hindered, however, when Ivysaur caught him in mid-air with his Vine Whip. He wrapped his opponent and held him in the air in such a way that it was extremely difficult to get free. Amy smiled and said, "Good job, boy! Now slam him and use Sleep Powder!"

Ivysaur growled affirmative and slammed his opponent head-first into the ground. He then sent out another wave of purple Sleep Powder. When Doduo attempted to recover from Ivysaur's first attack, it accidently breathed in some of the spores.

"Doduo, don't breath it in!" But Gary's Pokémon was already swaying as the Sleep Powder began to take effect. Amy's heart pounded as she saw victory in sight, "Now finish 'em with Takedown!"

Ivysaur did not need telling twice. In a speed that seemed impossible for his stature, Ivysaur struck down his opponent with a powerful Takedown. Doduo fell hard; asleep or unconscious, it was difficult to say.

Gary sighed as he recalled Doduo and smiled at his little sister, "I'm really impressed. I've been raising my own Pokémon for a few years now. Now here you come with an Ivysaur that was given to you last month and you're able to last this long against me? You're definitely an Oak, that's for sure."

Gary pulled out his Great Ball which held his Umbreon inside. "I wanted to give you more time to rest, but our opponent is better than I thought. I need you, so come out and show them why we're undefeated! Go, Umbreon!"

Umbreon was sent back into battle as Ivysaur braced himself to finish what was started. Amy thought to herself, _If I could just get Umbreon to fall asleep like Doduo, then we can when this match! Undefeated, huh? Not for long, Gary!_

"Use Sleep Powder, Ivysaur!"

"Use Dig, Umbreon!"

Umbreon avoided Ivysaur's attack by going underground. Amy told Ivysaur, "Close your eyes and listen for Umbreon underground!"

Ivysaur did as he was told. He was vaguely aware of how much his body hurt from that last Shadow Ball, or that his head was aching from all of those Takedowns. The only thing that mattered was defeating this damn Umbreon, who was the hardest opponent Ivysaur faced since his old master's Charmander. Ivysaur felt his opponent beneath him before he heard him, and rolled out the way just like he had done earlier.

Umbreon shot from underground but missed his target. Amy shouted, "Use wrap!" and Ivysaur shot his vines at Umbreon just as he had done with Doduo. Wrapping his opponent with vines from his back, Ivysaur lifted Umbreon in the air to slam him down. His foe was heavier than usual, however, as exhaustion had begun to seep through his very vines.

"Counter it with Snarl, Umbreon!"

Umbreon opened his mouth to unleash his attack on Ivysaur, but was slammed on his head before getting the chance. If Umbreon's head had hurt before, it was nothing compared to the thumping pain that he felt now. Amy smiled and said, "Sleep Powder, just like before!"

"Use Dig!"

Umbreon gathered his senses and dug deep within himself. Using a power that was usually common in ground type Pokémon, Umbreon parted the earth beneath him and dove. As he burrowed deeper under the ground, he became acutely aware of how much harder it was to breath under there. He had never really noticed, either, just how tight it was. Perhaps it was exhaustion seeping in, but Umbreon was beginning to severely hate using this move. The more he dug, the more tired he felt. In fact, he was unconvinced that he'd be able to pull of the attack right when he did emerge.

But he couldn't think about things like that now; he could sense that he was under his target. Gathering his remaining energy, Umbreon drove forward, full force, in an attempt to end this battle in one last attack.

He was unsuccessful. Somehow Ivysaur had pulled of yet another dodge and sent what looked like a Razor Leaf attack his way. Umbreon jumped out of the way and let out a low growl, this Ivysaur was really giving him a headache!

Ivysaur grunted as he missed his opponent. He thought that last Razor Leaf would hit for sure. He then heard the opposing trainer yell something about Night Slash and prepared himself for the dodge he was about to make. Behind him, his master's voice said, "Dodge it, Ivysaur!" Ivysaur smiled to himself, _A little late, aren't you?_

Ivysaur had little time to react; his opponent was dangerously fast. He barely had time to roll out the way. And he doubted whether he would have had time at all if Umbreon didn't seem so exhausted. He thought once again back to his early training. Back to when he would fight himself to sleep against Charmander and Squirtle. Jet had once told him,

_"When you fight at full strength, you tend to rely on that strength for the battle to outmatch your opponent. If you're a lot stronger than your opponent, this will usually work. But if you are fighting against a stronger opponent or an enemy who is around the same level as you guys are, then hang in there for as long as possible until you exhaust yourselves._

_"It's when you have no strength left that you began to fall back on your training. You begin to focus more on technique rather than power. You take your time and assess the situation instead of running in head-first. During this time, remember your basics. They are your greatest weapon."_

_The basics… The basics…_

Ivysaur charged into his opponent to close the distance, letting out a long, powerful Growl as he did so. Umbreon flinched as it took the brunt of another Growl, and Ivysaur lunged forward with another Tackle. _Tackle through your opponent; always make sure to follow through._

After hitting Umbreon with Tackle, Ivysaur slid and did an about face the way Jet had once taught him. He then got on his hind legs and tried to stomp his foes head. Umbreon quickly got up and dodged left, leaving his side exposed. Ivysaur's heart pounded as the feint worked, and pounce forward taking his opponent to the ground.

Ivysaur was now on top of his opponent in a dominant position, it was time to secure this position by pinning his opponent. He stomped at the neck and tail. He pinned one of Umbreon's legs while keeping one of his own legs securely on the ground. He then got to work on attacking with bite.

Amy watched in shock as Umbreon screeched while being mauled by Ivysaur. She had always focused on Ivysaur's advanced techniques, and had no idea where this animalistic attack had come from. What really surprised her was that it was _working._ They had a chance to win this!

Gary gritted his teeth. He knew Umbreon wouldn't be able to build the concentration to use a special attack, and this Ivysaur was too good at close quarters combat. He had to try something, so he said, "Umbreon, use Snarl!"

To Gary's surprise, Umbreon was able to use his attack even while taking so many bites. His attack was even powerful enough to knock Ivysaur back, giving Umbreon time to recover. His heart beating in his chest, Gary quickly followed up with, "Use Shadow Ball!"

"Use Razor Leaf!"

Brian watched the struggle between Ivysaur and Umbreon with awe. He had always adored Pokémon, and this was why. It was amazing that creatures normally so graceful and so playful can turn around and have an all-out battle to this degree. The ground was messed up from all of the dig attacks. There were razor sharp leaves sticking out of park benches and light posts. Blood was scattered all around the ground. And now two Pokémon who fought so hard to overcome each other lay unconscious from their struggle.

Brian called out, "Both Ivysaur and Umbreon are unable to battle, and this match is a draw."

Both of the trainers recalled their Pokémon. Amy was slightly saddened; she was sure for a second there Ivysaur was going to pull through for a win. Not that she was disappointed in the Pokémon himself, he fought bravely, and showed her a side of him she had never seen before. _This is why I love battles. It lets us get to know our Pokémon more, and brings us closer together._

Gary walked up to his sister and hugged her, "That was the best match I ever had. When I was living with dad, none of the local trainers there ever gave me and my Pokémon a real challenge. If I had to have my first draw, I'm glad it's with you, sis."

Amy smiled, "Thank you, Gary! That Umbreon of yours is something else."

Brian walked over and said, "Your Ivysaur was incredible! I guess I still have a long way to go, I still haven't figured out how to unlock Wartortle's true power like you and Jet did."

"Well," Amy said, "Jet _was _their original trainer."

Gary frowned, "Whose original trainer?"

"My Ivysaur and his Wartortle. My friend Jet was the one that hatched them and taught them how to fight."

Gary scratched his head and said, "I want to meet this guy. If he's as good of a trainer as you two say, I want to battle him!"

"Yeah, well," Amy sighed, "We got to go heal our Pokémon before we go battling anyone. Then let's head to Cerulean Cape, I feel like I'm due for a win."

**Author's Notes:**

**So, I'm not updating as often as usual, simply because I'm a little busier than usual. Next chapter will see more battles as the gang, (minus Jet) head to the battle club. You may get to see more of Gary's Pokémon; I know I'm going to have Brian do a match.**

**What do you think of the match between Gary and Amy? Who do you think you want to see next? Gary vs. Brian? Amy Vs. Brian? Leave a review to let me know, (Yes, sometimes I do take request).**

**There is still a good… three chapters until we get to a Gym match, but I definitely have things in the works for the Battle club. Stay tuned to find out what, and as always, please Review!**

***Amy's Team:**

**Ivysaur – Lvl.21, Male**

**Hoot-hoot – Lvl.15, Female**

**Poliwag – Lvl.16, Male**

**Paras – Lvl.14, Male**

**Clefairy – Lvl.14, Female**

**Zubat – Lvl.13, Male**

***Gary's Team:**

**Umbreon – Lvl.24, Male**

**Elekid – Lvl.16, Male**

**Doduo – Lvl.18, Female**

**Sudowoodo – Lvl.20, Male**

**These are simply the Pokémon Gary is currently training. He does have a lot more in Storage, and you may meet some of them later.**


	32. Cerulean City

**Author's Notes:**

**It was brought to my attention by Jess Readin that when Pokémon refer to their trainers as "Master" it seems like a slave type relationship. Allow me to clear up this misunderstanding.**

**When a Pokémon refers to their trainer as master, it is similar to calling them sifu, or sensei. It is an honorific recognizing the trainer as their teacher and leader.**

**I mention in chapter two that a Pokémon and a trainer share a certain bond, but I'm not sure how much detail I put into that. When a trainer captures a Pokémon, (or when a Pokémon decides a human is worthy to be its trainer), it creates a powerful bond of trust and loyalty between the two.**

**The Pokémon looks to the trainer for leadership and to be a teacher. It expects the trainer to look out for its wellbeing and to raise it with respect and discipline. It also looks for the trainer to bring out its strengths and win battles.**

**The Pokémon, in turn, has an obligation to protect its trainer. It also considers the trainer's orders absolute; just so long as the trainer in question does their job.**

**If the trainer neglects the Pokémon or becomes abusive, or if the Pokémon deems its trainer as an unworthy master, then the Pokémon may choose to break the bond between trainer and Pokémon.**

**Once this bond is broken, the Pokémon doesn't have to protect, nor obey, its former master. The Pokémon can then choose a different master, or just free itself. In many cases, the Pokémon will simply turn on their master and kill them. Serves them right for not doing their jobs!**

**Anyway, I'd like to give a big thank you for Jess Readin and the rest of my readers for taking time to review the story and ask questions. It's good to ask questions if something strikes you as odd, because another reader may just be wondering the same thing.**

**So from now on, I will answer questions in the author's notes as well as by private message, just to avoid confusion. Once again thanks for the reviews, and enjoy!**

Cerulean City

Brian groaned when Gary informed them they would not be going to the Battle Club after the Pokémon got back from the infirmary. "I'm just too tired tonight! And after waiting for Pokémon to get back there's no way I'm going to feel like heading out."

Amy rolled her eyes and Gary sighed, "Tell you two what, tomorrow I'll pick you two up here around noon. After that we'll head to the Gym and make an appointment for my Gym battle. After that's done we'll get some lunch, and _then_ head to the Battle Club."

And true to his word, Gary pulled up outside of the Pokémon Center just before twelve, "Hop in!" And they were off. The October breeze blew in through the cracked windows, carrying with it the smell of autumn leaves. Amy leaned back in her leather seat and closed her eyes. This is what she's been missing toiling about in high school and work. The promise of adventure lay ahead of her with her big brother and her best friend. _Now if only I didn't have on this fucking cast!_ Amy thought to herself, bitterly.

They drove past the five story apartment buildings that seemed to make up Cerulean's old town district. Amy watched as a flock of Wingull from some other region flew by overhead. Her sense of excitement mounted as Gary pulled up in front of the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym.

From the outside looking in, it seemed like a large aquarium. There was a large sign out front bearing the visage of a Dewgong with 'Welcome All Trainers' under it. Gary parked and Amy limped out of the corvette. Gary turned to Brian and asked, "You said you fought the Gym Leader all ready?"

"Fought and lost," Brian replied, "There are three Gym leaders that run this place, and they all have strong aquatic Pokémon."

"Three, huh?" Gary smiled, "We should challenge them to a triple battle, all of them vs. all of us!"

Amy frowned, "Would they even let us do that?"

Gary raised his eyebrows, "If they did, would you two sign up with me?"

Brian grinned and said, "Sounds like a plan to me! Amy?" he asked, turning to her.

She smiled and said, "If you and Jet both got badges, then I might as well see if I can get one of my own, right?"

Gary clapped her on the shoulder, "Good shit! Let's head inside!"

They walked into the lobby and went over to the service desk, "Hi," Brian smiled, "We'd like to challenge the Gym Leaders, please?"

The guy behind the desk said, "Oh, you again huh?" Brian frowned. The guy laughed, "Sorry dude, no need to get offended! I'll head to the back and get one of the Gym Leaders for you."

As the boy went in the back to fetch a Gym Leader, Amy looked around at the lobby. There were paintings of different water Pokémon going all around the room. Many of them looked as though they were done by school children. Sure enough, upon closer inspection, each painting had a small handprint and a signed name next to each of the painted Pokémon.

"Aww, that's so cute!" Amy cooed, "It looks like kids from local elementary schools got to paint on the walls! Some of these are really good!"

"Yeah," Gary said while staring at a painting of a Luvdisc, "Kind of reminds me of Gramp's old office when we were kids. You couldn't finger-paint for shit, Amy."

Amy turned to Gary, clearly affronted, "And I suppose you were a regular Picasso? I was five, dick!"

"This kid was five too, and look at their Luvdisc! That's like, twenty times better than the painted squiggles you would try to pass off as art."

Amy smirked, "You're just jealous because all of my paintings went on the fridge! Don't even get me started on how horrible you sounded in the shower!"

"Um, guys?" Brian interjected, timidly. His words fell on deaf ears, however, "_My singing?_ What about your Spice Girl stage!"

"Guys?"

"Pff!" Amy laughed, "Like it was any worse than you singing N-Sync or Boyz2men?"

"Guys!" Brian yelled over the sibling's bickering, "The Gym Leader is here."

Gary and Amy turned to see a gorgeous woman with blonde hair smiling at them, "Oh no, please don't stop on my account!" she giggled. Amy blushed. Gary, however, was completely unabashed, "We want to challenge you and the others to a three on three triple battle!"

The blonde beauty smiled with surprise, "You three want to take on all of the Sensational Sisters at once? That's certainly original. Well, it's a three hundred dollar challenge fee. That's per person by the way."

The receptionist chimed in and said, "That's in addition to whatever money you're putting down for a bet."

The Gym Leader nodded and said, "Yeah, what Rick said."

Amy asked, "So wait, we're actually allowed to do a triple battle with you guys?"

The blonde girl smiled and said, "It's your money! You can challenge us however you want! Only the Pokémon that win get the badge, though. And the winnings."

Brian, Amy, and Gary all looked at each other. Amy turned to the Gym Leader and said, "Sounds fair."

The Gym Leader smiled and said, "I'm Daisy, by the way. You three can just fill out the challenge forms with Rick over hear. Next available time is the thirteenth, I think."

Rick nodded, "Yes ma'am! That gives you all ten days to prepare!"

Three hours later, Gary pulled his Corvette in front of what looked like a large warehouse. Above the doors, was a big sign that read, 'Bill's Battle Club.' "Wow," Amy said, sarcastically, "How creative is this guy?"

There were cars parked all around the building and trainers standing around smoking cigarettes or just hanging out together. When everyone got out the car, they heard a loud roar come from inside the building.

"What do you think made that sound?" Amy asked, nervously. Gary frowned, "If I had to guess, I'd say it sounded like a Nidorino. Apparently there are more than just local trainers that go here."

Both Amy and Brian were impressed when they went inside. Gary was right, it _was _a Nidorino. His opponent, a Hitmonlee, was kicking his ass all over the sand pit in which they were battling.

The sand pit was in the middle of the ware house. It was just large enough for two Pokémon to do battle, with ten foot high walls. Above the pit stood all of the trainers, (many of them holding bet stubs), all cheering on their favorites to win. Near the entrance was a man checking ID's and another man taking bets.

Gary walked up to them and asked, "Hey, where do I sign up to battle?"

"Newbie, huh? Let me see your licenses." When the three trainers handed over their license, the man behind the desk let out a low whistle, "Class A trainers? We don't get a lot of you down here. Mostly class B's, you'll be lucky if you find a four star in this lot."

He then handed Gary a sign that was tied to a string, "You are number twenty nine. Just wait for them to call your number and go up to that guy by the pit. His name's Johnny. Show Johnny your number and place your bets for your match."

Gary grinned and put the number around his neck. Amy and Brian signed up too and were dubbed numbers thirty and thirty-one. They headed over to the pit to watch the battle.

The Hitmonlee was dominating the field. It moved from the Nidorino, to a Geodude, and then took out a Sandshrew. The crowd cheered as Johnny, who was apparently the announcer, said, "Ooohhh! And Hitmonlee takes the victory, ladies and gentleman! That's a five hundred dollar prize, if I recall correctly!"

The crowd cheered and the trainer of Hitmonlee recalled his Pokémon, looking superior. "Our next match! Numbers twenty eight and twenty nine!"

Amy raised her eyebrows at Gary, "That was fast!" Gary grinned and walked up to the announcer. Brian whispered into Amy's ear, "I wish Jet was here! Do you know how much money I would bet on that Gyarados of his?"

Amy shrugged, "You can bet on me! I'll win you some money!" Brian laughed and Amy frowned, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Brian said, quickly, "I'll bet on you, promise!"

"Ok, our trainers have agreed on a three-fifty wager! You know the rules; each trainer uses three Pokémon. Once a Pokémon has been recalled, it's out of the match! Both trainers send out your first Pokémon!"

On one side, Gary threw out a heavy ball, "Go, Sudowoodo!" A tree-like Pokémon was sent into the sand pit. Gary's opponent, a girl who looked about his age, sent her Pokémon forth, "Let's go, Machop!"

"Twenty eight seems to have the advantage in this first round, folks!" said Johnny the announcer while gesturing to the little blue-grey fighting Pokémon, "Let's see if twenty-nine and his Sudowoodo can overcome the odds! Aaaaand, BEGIN!"

"Machop, use Low Sweep!"

"Use Wood Hammer, Sudo!"

Machop ran forward at break-neck speed and slid in a powerful, sweeping motion. Sudowoodo, however, jumped his opponent's attack and slammed down, right on Machop's head.

There was a collective flinch from the crowd as Sudowoodo got in a critical hit. Johnny said, "That had to hurt! Surprisingly, it looks like Machop is out for the count! Sudowoodo wins this round! Who will twenty-eight send out next?"

Twenty-eight gritted her teeth and said, "You're not the only one with a rare Pokémon! Go, Munna!"

A small, pink, psychic Pokémon floated fourth. Amy squealed, "Oh my god that's sooo cute! I want one!" There were murmurs of surprise from the rest of the audience as well, "What is _that_?" "Where can I find one?"

Johnny got back on the mic and said, "Look at this! One of our challengers has a Munna! You can't find those in this region, folks! You have to do some creative online shopping to find one of these bad boys!"

Gary looked impressed, "That's one hell of a rare Pokémon!"

His opponent smirked and said, "My grandfather breeds them! She knows some pretty good moves too!"

"Yeah," Gary grinned, "Let's see them! Use Wood Hammer!"

"Double Team!"

There were suddenly four blurry Munna surrounding Sudowoodo. Gary yelled, "Attack them all! One of them has to be the one!" Sudowoodo nodded and went to strike the nearest opponent, which turned out to be an illusion.

Number twenty-eight shouted, "Use Gyro-Ball!"

The Munna directly behind Sudowoodo shot forward with a Gyro-Ball attack. It was a steel type move that basically tackles the opponent with a high-speed spin. The special thing about this technique, however, was that it does more damage if the user is slower than the target. As Munna was very slow to begin with, and Gyro-Ball was type effective against Sudowoodo, the attack did some damage.

"Ohh, that looked painful! Looks like Sudowoodo is recovering though."

And so it was. Sudowoodo stood up; visibly shaken, but ready to fight none the less. Gary asked, "Are you ok, Sudo?" Sudo nodded and ran in for another attack, but Munna floated above the sand pit and out of harm's way.

"That's not gonna work with us! Sudo, use rock throw!"

"Munna, use Psybeam!"

Sudo shot a rock at Munna, who floated to the side to avoid attack. Munna then started to glow and sent out a strange, multicolored ray at Sudowoodo. Gary quickly shouted, "Use Dig!"

Sudo avoided Munna's attack at the last possible second by digging deep underground. Munna's trainer said, "Stay in the air, where it can't hurt you!"

Gary shouted, "Use Smack Down!"

A rock burst forth from the ground and struck the unsuspecting Munna, who fell to the ground. Her trainer gasped just as Sudowoodo emerged from the ground and struck his opponent with Dig. Munna squealed in pain and her trainer yelled, "Get airborne!"

"Use Smack Down again, Sudo!"

Sudo sent another rock at Munna, but she dodged it just in time and floated into the air. Her trainer then called to her, "Heal yourself; use Moonlight!"

Munna began to glow. Gary told Sudo, "Don't let it heal, use Rock Blast!"

Sudo immediately started tossing rocks from the pit at his foe, who dodged them all with apparent ease. Sudo looked like it was getting tired; its attacks were a little slower than usual. Gary said, "Use mimic, Sudo! And then use Moonlight!"

"Quick, Munna, use Hypnosis!"

The Sudo had to concentrate in order to sense how Munna did her attack, so that little hesitation gave Munna the perfect window to put him to sleep. Gary cried, "No, Sudo, close your eyes!" He was too late, however, for Sudowoodo fell face first into the sand, unable to battle.

"Looks like Munna won this round!" exclaimed Johnny, "Ladies and Gentleman we have ourselves a battle! Who will twenty-nine send out next?"

Gary recalled Sudowoodo with annoyance. _This bitch and her fucking Munna! I'm not losing to this floating stuffed animal!_

"Go, Umbreon!"

Umbreon came out ready for battle. He bore absolutely no evidence of the fight from the previous day. Gary had him attack immediately, "Use Night Slash!"

Munna made an attempt to dodge the attack. However, whereas Sudo wasn't built for speed, Umbreon was much quicker than either Pokémon combined. He shot into the air with grace and poise, striking his opponent and landing outside of the pit. Munna dropped to the sand, blood now flowing freely from her fresh wound. Her trainer recalled her immediately.

"Wow, and Munna is now out! That Umbreon is definitely something! Number twenty-eight now has only one more Pokémon left!"

Gary's opponent was now looking nervous as she pulled out another pokeball. "Let's go, Pidgeotto!"

Her bird Pokémon shot out and began circling the sand pit from the air. Gary gritted his teeth, _Another goddamn airborne Pokémon?_

Gary turned to Umbreon and said, "Use Snarl!" just before his opponent told Pidgeotto, "Hit him with Gust!"

The two attacks collided directly in front of Pidgeotto, which knocked it to the ground. Gary took advantage and said, "Now use Night Slash!"

"Use Sand-Attack!"

Amy was strongly reminded of Jet's fight against Brock when a huge sand cloud covered the area. Johnny coughed through the dust, "Don't worry, this happens all the time! *_Cough, Cough* _We should probably ban Sand Attack. Ahh, I can't really tell what's going on."

It took a full minute for the dust to clear. When it did, the audience was met with a strange sight. Pidgeotto was flying in circles, crying out in pain. Attached to its leg, was a very resilient Umbreon who refused to unclench his teeth. Several people laughed while Pidgeotto's trainer yelled, "Throw it off!"

Gary, however, grinned at the sight of his Pokémon going the extra mile, "Let go and use Snarl!"

Umbreon dropped and immediately sent a dark sound wave at Pidgeotto. This time, the attack hit its target full force. Pidgeotto was knocked to the ground again, and Gary once again said, "Use Night Slash!"

"Pidgeotto, use- ahh!"

She never got her command out. Umbreon's attack had struck home, and Pidgeotto was now out for the count. Johnny announced, "Pidgeotto is unable to battle, Umbreon is the winner! And the victory goes to, number twenty-nine! Give it up!"

Gary wore a superior smile as he recalled his Pokémon. The crowd applauded the victory. Brian turned to Amy and said, "That was quick. Your brother is pretty good. I doubt even Jet's Charmander could beat that Umbreon!"

Amy raised her eyebrows, "Have you seen Thorn lately? It's not a Charmander anymore, that little fucker is vicious! I've seen it battle, I wouldn't send any of my Pokémon against it any more than I would that Gyarados of his."

"So, you think Jet could beat Gary?"

Amy shrugged, "With that Gyarados and that Charmeleon? I'd say probably."

Brian nodded, "I got to catch up. Gary and Jet are good trainers, but I don't think they're on the same level as those Gym Leaders. I need to train hard to get that badge."

"Are they really that strong?" Amy asked.

Brian nodded, "The match I fought was hard as hell. I lost the match in the first round because my Heracross' life was in danger, so I had to forfeit and get him to the Pokémon Center right away."

Amy frowned, "Wouldn't he be safe in a Pokeball?"

Brian shook his head, "The wound was pretty serious, I wanted to make sure he was ok."

"Can I get numbers thirty and thirty-one, please?"

Amy limped over to Johnny and said, "That's us!"

Johnny raised his eyebrows, "You sure you want to fight with those crutches?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "My Pokémon aren't in crutches! I think I can manage."

Johnny shrugged and said, "Ok, what's the bet?"

Brian turned to Amy and said, "What are you betting?"

Amy said, "Weeeell, how about we keep it a low one hundred?"

Brian nodded and said, "Ok, but…" his cheeks went red, "If I win you have to let me take you out on a date!" He then looked away, afraid of her reaction.

Amy looked surprised. Then she smiled and said, "Ok! Deal."

Brian looked up, "Really?"

Amy laughed, "Yeah, I don't really know where you want to go with these crutches and everything, but I'll take that bet."

Brian's heart pounded furiously, "Ok, Amy, you're on!"

"Ahh," Gary came from out of nowhere, "young love! Bless their little hearts!"

Amy blushed, as well as Brian. Gary laughed and pinched Amy's cheek, "They grow up so fast!" Amy pulled his hand off and said, "Quit it!"

Johnny interjected, "Listen, lovebirds, are we going to start this battle or what?"

**Author's Notes:**

**Will Brian get to go on his date with Amy? And if so, will she see him as more than just a friend? What does Gary think about his little sister dating? What does Jet think about his best friends dating? Stay tuned!**

**And, as always, please review!**


	33. Bill's Battle Club

**Author's Notes:**

**I know a lot didn't happen in the last chapter, that's because I was originally going to make this chapter part of the last one. It ran way too long so I'm separating them.**

Bill's Battle Club

Gary watched as his little sister stood on the opposite side of the sand pit as her opponent. Silently, he wondered who would win between the two of them. He had never seen Brian battle, but Amy did say that he was a good trainer.

Beside Gary, a brown haired boy smirked and said, "Well, that's interesting." Gary turned to look at the boy. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen. He had brown hair and matching eyes. His face had scratches on it and his clothes had little rips in various places. His eyes looked tired, but interested in the proceedings.

"What happened to you?" Gary asked. The boy turned to Gary in surprise, "Nothing, just been out training for the past few days a couple of miles from here." His voice sounded weary from tiredness.

"Training for this place?" Gary asked.

"No, for the local Gym around here."

Gary raised his eyebrows, "No shit? I'm challenging the Gym too. Me, my little sister, and her friend are doing a triple battle on the thirteenth."

The boy looked over at Gary, surprised, "They let you do that? A full-on triple battle with three different trainers?"

Gary nodded, "Yeah, uh- there's supposed to be multiple Gym leaders too, I think."

"Oh," the boy said, "I think I heard about that."

The boy then turned to the battle, and watched as Amy's Poliwag used Bubblebeam on Bran's Sandslash. He then turned back to Gary and asked, "Just out of curiosity, how are you guys practicing for that battle? What do you use as opposition?"

Gary gestured to the battle at hand, "We're battling it out at this place. Getting our Pokémon's levels up."

The boy shook his head and said, "No, I mean, how are you practicing your triple battle techniques? You know, getting all of your Pokémon to work as a team? Cause, I heard the Gym Leaders are all sisters. That mean's their Pokémon all probably know how to fight with each other inside and out. That means in a triple battle,-"

"They have the advantage!" Gary finished the sentence, "Holy shit, why didn't I think of that?"

The boy shrugged and said, "I'm not going to tell you how to raise your Pokémon, but if it were me then I'd focus on getting all of my Pokémon to work with theirs instead of doing separate one on ones. Ouch, that Sandslash's dig looked painful!"

Gary thought about what the boy just said. He was completely right. Gary shouldn't be doing one on ones, he should be preparing to fight multiple opponents!

"Oh, it looks like number thirty is down to one last Pokémon," Johnny said, "Seems like thirty-one has this one in the bag!"

Brian's Sandshrew had already taken out two of Amy's Pokémon, but it was now getting tired from the previous rounds. Amy sent out her last Pokémon, "Go Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!"

Ivysaur was sent out and immediately attacked Sandslash with Razor Leaf. Sandslash tried to dodge, but wasn't quick enough to avoid the attack.

"Sandslash is now unable to battle! Number thirty-one, send out your next Pokémon!"

Brian recalled his Sandslash. _So, _he thought to himself, _all I got to do is take out that Ivysaur and Amy has to go out on a date with me? There is no way I'm losing!_

"Go, Growlithe!"

Now Amy was at a disadvantage. Both Ivysaur and Growlithe growled at each other in an attempt to intimidate the other. Ivysaur sensed Growlithe giving off a strong aura and stepped backward; it was Growlithe's ability, Intimidate.

Brian yelled, "Cook 'em with Ember, Growlithe!"

Amy said, "Dodge it, quick!"

Ivysaur ran to avoid the short-ranged torrent of flames Growlithe unleashed. Growlithe persisted, however, so Ivysaur was too busy avoiding the attack to go on the offensive. Brian smiled and said, "Keep it up, Ivysaur can't avoid you forever!"

Amy tried think of a way to get an opening, and then said, "Jump over the flames and use Body Slam!"

Ivysaur jumped the attack and dove at his opponent. Growlithe, however, redirected his attack upwards and hit Ivysaur under his belly. Ivysaur grunted as the flames hit him, but slammed into Growlithe anyway to end the Ember.

Growlithe was knocked into the dirt, but was able to quickly recover and throw Ivysaur off. Amy called, "Use Leech Seed, Ivysaur!"

"Dodge and use Ember!"

Growlithe attempted to dodge Ivysaur's attack but wasn't quick enough. The Leech Seed caught him and immediately started sapping his energy. Amy followed up with, "Now use Takedown!"

Ivysaur charged at his opponent and tackled, full-force. Growlithe was knocked back, and Brian yelled, "Use Ember!"

Ivysaur rolled out of the way of the flames, but the Ember scorched Ivysaur's Leech Seed; forcing Ivysaur to retract it. On the microphone, Johnny said, "This Ivysaur isn't giving up easily! It's definitely giving Growlithe a run for its money, even with the type disadvantage!"

Brian called, "Use another Ember!"

"Use Poison Powder!"

Ivysaur released his poison spores just as Growlithe took a breath to use Ember. Growlithe coughed as he breathed in the poison. Brian pulled out Growlithe's Pokeball and said, "All right, that's enough! Return!"

Growlithe barked and growled at Brian, and then shot another Ember at Ivysaur. Johnny told the crowd, "What's this? Growlithe is refusing his trainer's request to be recalled! He wants to fight even though he's poisoned! Ivysaur is still dodging those flames, though; This match could be anyone's at this point folks!"

Brian was surprised that Growlithe snapped at him and kept battling. Brian could order his Pokémon to return, but that might strain the already weak bond between them; Brian was not Growlithe's original trainer. On the other hand, if Growlithe continued like this, he could get injured.

Back in the audience, Gary said, "I don't care if I'm the OT or not; if I recall a Pokémon, they better return! If you let them do what they want then they won't respect you."

"He is just trying to let Growlithe keep his pride."

Ivysaur dodged one Ember after another. Finally, Growlithe jumped into the air and released a torrent of flames from its mouth; somersaulting as he did so. His entire body became engulfed in flames as he shot at his opponent in a turning motion.

Brian let out a small gasp of surprise; Growlithe must have just learned Flame Wheel. Ivysaur barely had time to dodge the attack, which left a small, smoky crater in the sand. Brian laughed and said, "Try that again, Growlithe! Use Flame Wheel!"

Growlithe barked and attacked again. As he was new to using this attack, it took way too long to get started. Ivysaur saw an opening when Growlithe jumped into the air and took it.

"Ooo! A powerful Takedown delivered by Ivysaur! Growlithe's Flame Charge was interrupted, and it looks like that Poison Powder is taking its toll!"

Growlithe attempted to stand back up, but was struggling because of the poison. Brian gritted his teeth; he wasn't going to let Growlithe continue like this. "Growlithe! Return, now!"

Growlithe was recalled and Ivysaur let out a sigh of relief; those flames were making him nervous. Johnny said, "And Ivysaur takes that round! Talk about a nice little comeback!"

Gary smiled, "What do you know? That Ivysaur actually did it!"

Amy yelled, "Wooooo! Good job, Ivysaur!"

Brian sighed and sent out his next Pokémon, "Go, Fearow!"

Ivysaur growled as Fearow was unleashed; today was just not his day! Johnny seemed to be thinking along the same lines, "A flying type! Is Ivysaur's luck going to hold?"

Amy immediately said, "Ivysaur, use Growl!"

Ivysaur let out a powerful Growl; which made everyone watching the battle wince and cover their ears. Fearow dove down to use Peck, but Ivysaur rolled out the way of the attack. Brian yelled, "Use Aerial Ace!"

Fearow shot back into the air and flew around the sand pit once to gain momentum. He then dove at Ivysaur; surrounding powerful streaks of wind around himself as he did so. Ivysaur could not dodge this time, the attack was too fast and too well executed. Amy yelled out Ivysaur's name in panic.

The seed Pokémon was knocked back; hard. "Wow," Johnny exclaimed, "I'm surprised Ivysaur is able to get up after that attack!"

Ivysaur stood back up with great difficulty. Brian yelled to Fearow, "Do it again! Build more momentum this time!"

Amy was not about to stand there and watch her Ivysaur get hurt. That Aerial Ace was completely unavoidable, and one more strike would end the match. So Amy ended it herself, "Return Ivysaur! You need to rest!"

Gary sighed as Amy recalled her last Pokémon, forfeiting the match. "I suppose she did what was right, Ivysaur wouldn't be able to stand another Aerial Ace like that. Still, I was hoping my sister would win."

The boy with brown hair turned to Gary in surprise, "Amy is your sister?"

Gary looked at the boy and realized who he was, "So _you're-_"

"Jet!" Amy ran up and hugged her friend, "When did you get here?"

Brian walked up and hugged Jet too, "Dude, did you just see me beat Amy?"

Gary held out his hand, "I'm Gary, nice to finally put a face to the guy that trained Amy's Ivysaur!"

Jet smiled and shook Gary's hand, "Thanks, but Amy trained Ivysaur herself. I just took care of him when he was a baby. You're Gary, huh? I heard a lot about you. I've been looking forward to meeting you."

Jet turned to Brian and smiled, "I love the good job you did on your Fearow, that Aerial Ace is fucking killer!"

Brian laughed and said, "Yeah, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Your Pidgeotto caught the receiving end of that attack a couple of times."

"Yeah, well," Jet yawned, "Don't get too cocky, bruh."

"Jet, what happened to you?" Amy put her hand on his cheek, "You look exhausted! And you got scratches all over-"

But Jet smiled and moved Amy's hand, "I'm fine! I just need some sleep when I get back to the Center."

Brian looked from Amy to Jet. He then frowned and asked, "You plan on battling tonight, too?"

Jet nodded, "I was supposed to fight earlier, but I was outside when my number got called." He then held up a small sign with a number twenty three on it. "The announcer guy told me I'd fight number thirty-four. So I'm up after these two." Jet gestured to the two trainers who were now sending their first couple of Pokémon into the sand pit.

Brian asked, "Anything interesting happen during training?"

Jet shrugged, "I caught some new Pokémon. I got an Abra, an Oddish, a Sandshrew, an Ekans, and a Bellsprout."

Amy said, "God damn! You just went crazy, didn't you?"

Jet shrugged, "Most of them are in storage right now. I'm back at six on my line-up. What's this I hear about you guys doing a triple battle at the Gym?"

"Oh yeah," Brian said, "Gary's idea. It's a smart one, too. This way we can all back each other up!"

Gary said, "Hey, guys, listen. I was talking to Jet while you guys were battling and he brought to my attention that we haven't thought of training all of our Pokémon together. You know, as a team."

Gary told Brian and Amy about Jet's idea to do team training so they would be prepared for their match. "See, the way I figure it," Gary finished, "we shouldn't train here. We should head out to the field and work on team-building. At least until we face the Gym Leaders."

Amy nodded, "You guys are right. We all have plenty of practice doing one on ones, but none doing a triple battle. We should start first thing tomorrow."

There was a loud cheer from the crowd as one of the Pokémon currently fighting won its first round. Jet looked over and said, "I'm probably just going to train here for now. I've got to give my new Pokémon some battle experience. I also need to practice some of the new techniques my stronger Pokémon learned."

"Aww," Amy frowned, "You're not training with us?"

Jet smiled at her and said, "I'll be there to watch your Gym Battle! I promise."

Gary turned to Jet and asked, "So, you used to work for my Grandfather too?"

Jet yawned and said, "Yeah. We all got hired around the same time. He's a real nice guy, kind of like a grandfather to me too."

Amy said, "Grandpa always liked Jet. Said he was a natural."

"Well," Jet scratched his head, "You two were just as good. I don't think I've ever met anyone who knows as much data about Pokémon as Brian; kid's like a human Pokedex."

Amy giggled and Brian smirked, "What was it Natalie used to call us? Lab rats?"

Jet shrugged and Amy said, "Oh, Brian, don't mention the N word!"

"I'm fine," Jet said, "really!" he added when Amy looked unconvinced. Gary asked, "Who is-?" but stopped when Amy shook her head. Brian changed the subject to possible strategy's to defeat the Gym Leaders. Gary decided he would use his Elekid for the match, while Amy went with the obvious Ivysaur. Brian, however, insisted on using Wartortle instead of Tangela.

"My Tangela isn't very strong right now, and I can't train her to Wartortle's level by the thirteenth. Besides, the battle field at the Gym is probably going to suit aquatic Pokémon. Wartortle will be able to maneuver better in that situation."

Gary shrugged, "Well when you put it like that. I've never seen your Wartortle, but your other Pokémon seem to be capable. If that was your first Pokémon, I guess it would be able to handle a Gym match without a type advantage."

"He will," Brian assured Gary, "and he was raised with Amy's Ivysaur. You've seen him in battle, right? My Wartortle is in the same ball park."

Jet didn't say anything. Wartortle was good, yes, but Brian hasn't really mastered bringing out his true potential yet. Still, Jet was sure Wartortle would be just as good in an aquatic environment as Amy's Ivysaur. There was another twenty minutes of conversation on the Gym match before the current battle was over.

"Ok, now that thirty-two is victorious, it is time for numbers twenty-three and thirty-four to face off!"

"That's me," said Jet as he headed for the announcer to place his bet. Gary turned to his sister and said, "He seems like he knows what he's talking about. Now I really want to see this guy battle."

Jet walked up to Johnny the announcer and flashed his number. The announcer nodded and said, "Good luck, kid." Jet's opponent walked up and did the same.

The man Jet was about to battle looked like he was ready to go hiking. He wore all cargos with heavy boots on. He carried a big backpack and had a full beard. He was also a little on the heavy side. "Name's Donovan," the Hiker said, "How much you want to bet, kid?"

"I was thinking fifteen hundred, think you can cover it?"

"Ho-ho!" The Hiker grinned, "Easy money for me! Try to put up a good fight! I won't go easy on you because you're young!"

"Ok," Johnny the announcer said into the microphone, "both trainers have placed their bets for the match! Whenever you're ready, send out your first Pokémon and wait for my signal!"

Jet stood on the opposite side of the sand pit as Hiker Donovan. He felt nervous as he always did when battling in front of a crowd. He didn't mind Pokémon battles at all. He actually loved them, but not in front of people. This was not a time for stage fright, however, this was a time for training.

Hiker Donovan sent out Hitmonlee. Back in the audience, Brian said, "Ain't that the same one that was battling a Nidorino earlier?"

"Yeah," Gary agreed, "He kicked that ass up and down the pit! This should be interesting!"

Jet nervously pulled out his premier ball, "Go, Neo!"

Abra was sent out on the field. It looked up at its opponent with slight interest and sat down. Johnny said over the intercom, "Are both trainers ready? Alrighty then, Begin!"

"Hitmonlee, use Pursuit!"

"Teleport!"

Hitmonlee cloaked himself in a dark aura and shot at Abra, who in turn disappeared an reappeared floating above his opponent. Jet then smiled and said, "Use Telekinetic Slam!"

Abra lifted Hitmonlee into the air using Telekinesis, and slammed him down into the sand. Hitmonlee turned his body and landed on his feet. Because of the spring like muscles in his legs, the sand didn't harm him at all. Hiker Donovan laughed, "This is the big league, kid! You have to try better than that!"

Jet gritted his teeth. Telekinesis was Abra's only attack that could be used long ranged. Any short ranged attacks and Hitmonlee would be able to use Pursuit, which was strong against Abra.

"Neo, use Flash!"

Jet quickly closed his eyes as Neo Teleported in from of Hitmonlee and shot a bright flash of light from his eyes just before Hitmonlee could attack. The flash of light blinded everyone in a ten meter radius, including Hitmonlee. Jet then said, his eyes still closed, "Now use Thunder Wave!"

Jet had taught Abra this attack with the help of his Pikachu. It was a weak wave of static electricity which, if executed right, could paralyze the user's foe. Jet had drilled this attack into Abra, so Abra could more than execute this attack, he could do it in his sleep!

Hitmonlee's vision was returning, but it was now having trouble moving. Jet grinned and said, "Ok, Neo! Now slam your opponent's head into the wall!"

Abra nodded and lifted Hitmonlee into the air using Telekinesis. Hitmonlee was unable to brace himself for what came next, and his head did not do so well against concrete. The attack was an instant knockout, but it took a second for the announcer's vision to return to call the round.

"Oh- god damn it, Hitmonlee is unable to battle, Abra is the winner!"

The crowd was too busy complaining about their vision to applaud or even acknowledge that there was still a match going on. Hiker Donovan had his eyes closed as he was still waiting for his vision to return, "That was a dirty trick! Using Flash to blind my Pokémon!"

Jet smirked, "It's an official attack, not a dirty trick. Just cause you can't hang with the big boys doesn't mean you have to get grumpy."

Hiker Donavon pulled a Nest Ball from his bag and said, "I'll show you what's what! Go, Donphan!"

He sent out a rock type that looked like a small, yet formidable, elephant. The Pokémon pawed the ground awaiting orders. Jet smiled, "Neo, return!" All of his nervousness was forgotten. On the battlefield, Jet felt, this was his mountain top. Here, he and his titans dominated.

"Let's go, Thorn!"

"What's this?" Johnny exclaimed, "Number twenty-three is recalling his Abra, who isn't even hurt, to send out a fire type Pokémon against thirty-four's rock type!"

Gary asked Amy, "Why the hell would he do that? He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that would do something so strategically stupid."

Amy shrugged, "Jet likes to take risks with his Pokémon. He say's battles are the best training."

Brian nodded, "Trust me, Jet has something hidden up his sleeve." Brian was thinking back to when that Charmeleon took out his Pokémon using Dragon Rage, and wondered if he was going to do the same thing here.

"Donphan, use Rollout!"

"Thorn, use Rock Tomb!"

Donphan rolled into a ball and shot at Charmeleon. Charmeleon, however, thrust his arms upward and made the sand beneath Donphan erupt upward. Rocks burst from the sand and tried to encase Donphan. The Pokémon broke through the rocks. Rock Tomb wasn't very effective, but it did stop Rollout dead in its tracks.

"Now use Metal Claw!"

"Use Takedown!"

Both Pokémon charged at each other. Thorn shot past Donphan, who let out a cry of pain. Donphan's side was dripping blood from where the Metal Claw had struck. Above the pit, Johnny said, "Ouch, that looked painful!"

Jet said, "Now use Flame Burst!"

A powerful shot of fire erupted from Charmeleon's maul. The attack hit its target and then burst in all directions, causing the audience to get out the way in an attempt to avoid getting showered with flames.

There was smoke rising from the pit and Johnny said, "Wow, what an attack!"

Amy asked Brian, "How come your Growlithe never used that attack against my Ivysaur?"

Brian shrugged, "Growlithe would always growl at me whenever I approached him. I figured I'd get him to like me before I tried using a TM on him. I'm really regretting that I just didn't order him to stay still, now. That attack was incredible!"

Everyone gasped as the smoke cleared. The walls of the pit were all scorched. There were small fires burning sporadically about the sand. There was a huge scorch mark where Donphan lay, motionless. Donovan recalled his fallen Pokémon and gritted his teeth, "I got something for your ass! Go, Onix!"

The large, rock snake was sent out. Several people screamed and gasped. Almost everyone backed away from the pit. Jet smiled. Charmeleon was more than capable of taking this one out by himself, but Jet had a better idea.

"Thorn, return! Go, Hydra!"

There were more screams as Jet's Gyarados entered the pit, which was now way too small for both Pokémon to have a proper battle. Johnny was beside himself, "I can't believe this! Ladies in gentlemen, this is a battle the likes of which I've only seen on television! Four star Onix versus the five star Gyarados! You better start placing your bets, cause it's about to get bloody!"

And so it had, as Jet told Gyarados to use Bite, the water monster jumped at her opponent; knocking both Pokémon out of the pit and into the crowd. People ran and screamed. People cheered and jeered. Onix's blood began to fly all over the place as he was repeatedly bitten. Donovan yelled, "Use Harden, so the bites won't hurt!"

Onix roared affirmative and begun to harden its skin. Jet called, "Use Dragon Rage!"

There was a loud BANG as Gyarados shot out a ball of energy at Onix, who roared and fell backwards into a wall. More people screamed as the wall now had a gaping hole in it. Jet yelled, "Again, Hydra!"

There was another loud BANG, and Onix fell yet again. This time, however, he didn't get back up. Hydra roared in triumph and people screamed yet again. Johnny said over the mic, "N-nothing to worry about folks! Look, he is recalling the Gyarados now! _Jesus_, I hope our insurance will cover that hole in the wall!"

The Hiker recalled his Onix as well. No one was injured, but people were definitely shaken up as they walked past the puddles of blood on the floor. Jet walked over to the Hiker to collect his prize money. Gary turned to Amy and said in a faint voice, "Holy shit, you guys weren't lying about the Gyarados!"

Amy nodded and said, "Yeah. That thing definitely scares me."

Jet collected his prize money and walked over to his friends. He walked past Johnny, who was attempting to restore order with his microphone. "I guess I over did it, huh?"

Brian laughed and said, "I think that's putting it lightly, dude."

A man in a suit walked up to them and addressed Jet, "Excuse me, Mr. Brooks would like to congratulate you on your victory and invite you to the VIP room."

Jet said in surprise, "Bill Brooks? The former champion?"

Brian asked, "There's a VIP room?"

The man in the suit smiled and said, "Follow me, please."

**Author's Notes:**

***Jet's Team:**

**-Charmeleon/Thorn - Lvl.26, Male**

**=Pidgeotto/Sora – Lvl.20, Female**

**-Pikachu/Spark – Lvl.24, Male**

**-Gyarados/Hydra – Lvl.23, Female**

**-Abra/Neo – Lvl.16, Male**

**-Bellsprout/Quasimodo – Lvl.14, Male**

**Next chapter, Jet faces his most difficult opponent yet. Will he be able handle a former league champion? Will Gary and the others be able to take out the Cerulean City Sensational Sisters? Will Brian be able to woo Amy?**

**Stay tuned! And as always, please review!**


	34. The Former Champion

The Former Champion

Jet and his friends followed the man in the suit to a door next to the spot where bets were being placed. Beyond the door was a metal staircase that led upwards. They walked up the staircase until they arrived on the second floor. The man in the suit said, "Just head through this door, here.

Jet nodded and walked in. The VIP room was very much unlike the rest of the battle club. Whereas the downstairs looked like an abandoned warehouse with a bloody sand pit in the middle, this room was lushly decorated with artwork and oak furniture. There was a bar in the corner and a television above it. At the front of the room, there was a large window that took up the entire wall. Outside of the window was the rest of the club, and a perfect view of the sand pit.

The VIP was full of people. Most of people were girls in tight skirts. The only males in the room were the security, (All dressed in suits), the bartender, (wearing a handsome tuxedo), and Bill himself.

Bill was a little shorter than Jet. He wore his hair in curls and had on what looked to be an Armani purple suit on. His shoes were so shiny Jet could see his reflection in them. Bill was very handsome, but also pale and slightly sweaty. In the corner of his eye, Jet could see one of Bill's girls snorting a line of coke on a glass table. _So he's one of those!_

When Bill spoke it was with an English accent, "Ah, there you are! These your friends, then?"

Jet nodded and introduced them all. Bill smiled and said, "Ah yes, I was watching your battles earlier. Very entertaining! Please, everyone, have a seat, get comfortable. 'Specially you, love; those crutches don't look like they're a joy to stand on, now do they?"

Everyone sat down. Jet and his friends were sitting on a sofa opposite of Bill and his posse. The window with the sand pit was to their left; it looked as though Johnny had already gotten the next battle started.

Bill asked, "Can I get you some drinks? Darnel here makes this amazing drink called- what was it? A chocolate birthday cake?" he asked the bartender. The bartender said, "Yeah, I'll send a few over, sir."

Bill turned back towards Jet and smiled, "It's actually quite good. I think he said it was one third frangelica, and two thirds vanilla absolute. Or maybe it was the other way around?"

One of the girls walked up and put a tray on the table full of shot glasses. Bill gestured towards the tray and said, "C'mon then, have a drink. I insist!"

Curious as to what this 'chocolate birthday cake' tasted like, Jet grabbed one of the shot glasses. So did his companions. Bill raised his own glass and said, "Cheers!" and they drank. Bill was right; it really did taste like chocolate cake. "Mmm!" said Amy, "That's amazing!"

Bill laughed and said, "Yeah well, you got to be careful with drinks like that. They taste good so you think they're harmless, and a half hour later you're fucking trashed and have no clue as to why it happened! Let's have another."

Everyone took a second shot. Jet felt the back of his throat burn and told himself, _Careful! Don't let this turn out like last time!_ Bill smiled at Jet and said, "Do you know who I am?"

Jet nodded and said, "Yeah, you were the league champion!"

Bill laughed, "Most people know me because of the money I made web designing, yet this bloke knows me as the former Regional League Champion! Yeah, Bill's the name. I like to think of myself as a collector. As I sure you all are! Most serious trainers like to collect they're favorites. I'm a collector of rare Pokémon."

Bill leaned forward and pointed at Jet's belt, "That Gyarados of yours is a rare Pokémon. As is your Charmeleon. I have a Charizard; there's a valley not too far from this region that's crawling with them! But a Gyarados? Those are harder to find, aren't they? So very few Magikarp ever get enough power to evolve. Those that do, well they don't exactly hang out at local lakes, do they? You have to search the seas for them. A task so dangerous, only the most hardened of Pokémon trainers will do. It's rare you ever see a Gyarados for sale; and when you do you better have deep pockets to buy one. Which begs the question, _how did you find a Gyarados?"_

Jet sat back and said, "Well, I didn't _find _it exactly."

Bill smiled, "Ah, so you bought it then?"

"No," Jet laughed, "I evolved it from a Magikarp."

Bill suddenly burst out laughing, as did some of his concubines. Jet's smile was wiped off his face as Bill clutched his gut and said, "Yeah right! You can't train a Magikarp to fight! It's impossible!"

Jet asked, "Well, have you ever actually _tried _to work with a Magikarp before? They get a bad rep because it takes a lot of patience to work with them, but they're not as useless as everyone thinks. My Magikarp once defeated a Wartortle in single combat."

Bill stopped laughing and asked, "So you're serious? You evolved your Magikarp into a Gyarados? How long did it take you?"

Jet thought about it and said, "A little under two weeks, I think."

Bill raised his eyebrows, "That must have been some high level Magikarp you captured."

Amy chimed in, "The Magikarp was level thirteen when Jet caught it and level twenty when it evolved."

Bill looked dumbstruck for a second, and then asked, "Do you expect me to believe that you caught a Magikarp, taught it to fight, trained it seven levels, and evolved it in less than two weeks into one of the rarest and most feared water type Pokémon in the world?"

Jet grinned and said, "Aww, stop, you're gonna make me blush!"

Brian laughed and said, "Yeah, when he puts it like that, makes you sound like a good trainer doesn't it?"

Bill looked at Jet and shook his head, "You definitely seem convincing, but I'm still having trouble believing you. Either way, how you got the Gyarados really doesn't matter. What matters, is what do you want for it?"

Jet raised his eyebrows and asked, "Excuse me?" in a cold voice. Bill smiled and said, "I have rare Pokémon from all over the world! Many of them, I breed so I can trade. I could give you Pokémon that you would have to travel over a thousand miles and overturn rocks to find! I could give you Pokémon who have enough power to take on any Gym leader in region! I could give you-"

Jet stood up and said, "Thank you for the offer, but I'm not interested in trading."

Brian turned to Jet and said, "Hey, man, maybe you should think about this!"

Bill pointed to Brian and said, "I'd listen to your friend here. The amount of rare Pokémon I have in my storage system, I could find you one that suits you just right."

Jet shook his head, "There's nothing to think about. I don't train Pokémon that I didn't capture or raise myself."

Gary rolled his eyes, _What's this guy thinking? I would trade with him! Gyarados may be rare, but Magikarp are common as fuck! If he can evolve one, he could evolve another, right?_

Bill stood up too and smiled, "I can respect that, you like to earn your Pokémon, understandable. Tell you what, mate, shoot me a number and I'll write you a check."

Jet shook his head and said, "No thank you, Mr. Brooks."

Bill, ignoring Jet's refusal, took out his check book and signed a check, handing it to Jet, "I'm a very wealthy man, mate. Just write down a number on that little check, and give me that Gyarados!"

Jet looked down at the check, his heart racing. He then looked Bill in the eye and ripped the check in half, "Hydra is not for sale. I don't give a shit if she was still a Magikarp, I don't sell my Pokémon. I don't trade my Pokémon. I raise them. Thank you for the offer, but I should get going." Jet made his way around the couch when he heard Bill say, "Don't you dare turn your back on me, you little shit! I don't care how you got that Gyarados, if you were a trainer worth knowing I'd have heard of you. You have your pride? Fine. Battle me."

Jet turned around and said, "I don't bet my Pokémon, either."

Bill walked up to Jet and said to his face, "I don't give a damn! I don't want you to bet your Pokémon, or your money! I have plenty of that. I want to show you to respect a Pokémon Master when they generously give you an offer; _you don't fucking refuse!_

"You think you're that high on the food chain that you are on equal terms with me? _Me?_ Oh we'll see, mate! I challenge you to a three on three battle. If I win then I never want to see your face in my club again. Get a goddamn Gym membership like every other half-baked local trainer."

Jet's heart started beating rapidly again, "And if I win?"

Bill laughed, "If he wins, he says! If you win, mate, I have a TM for Hyper Beam with your name on it. Sound fair?"

_Hyper Beam?_ Hyper Beam was a powerful blast that could only be taught to powerful Pokémon. Its destructive power made it one of the strongest normal type attacks in the world.

"Ok," Jet nodded, "You have a deal."

Bill turned to one of his security guards and said, "Tell Johnny the next match is going to be between me, and Jet over here." He then turned back to Jet and said, "We go by club rules. Once you recall a Pokémon, you can't send it back out."

Jet nodded, now starting to regret his decision to go against Bill. Still, he did want to see his skills against a former league champion. Gary turned to Amy and said, "Yeah, he's not going to last five minutes."

**XXX**

Jet was standing at the edge of the sand pit. Across from him, Bill stood with a smirk on his face, "Take my jacket, love. I think I'm going to enjoy this!"

Bill handed his jacket to one of the girls with a tight skirt on. His belt had six ultra-balls clipped to it. Johnny was instructed not to comment on the match; Bill said he found Johnny's voice annoying. Everyone in the club surrounded the pit, but were careful not to get to close this time in case of danger.

"You first, mate, the match will begin as soon as both Pokémon are sent out!"

Jet nervously sent out his first Pokémon, "Go, Sora!"

His Pidgeotto flew around the sand pit as Bill sent forth his Pokémon, "Go, Skarmory!"

Bill's metallic bird shot out like a jet and flew around the room. People cried out as they were buffeted by the wind from Skarmory's speed. Bill yelled, "Use Flash Cannon!"

Skarmory opened its mouth and shot out a silvery beam of light at its target. Jet was about to tell Pidgeotto to dodge, but the attack had already hit her. It was an instant KO. Bill's Pokémon were obviously at an extremely high level. Jet nervously recalled his Pidgeotto and sent out his Pikachu, which had a type advantage against Skarmory.

"Skarmory, return," said Bill, lazily, "Go, Torkoal!"

Bill sent forth a Pokémon Jet had never seen before, only read about. It looked like half large turtle, half very small volcano. The Pokémon emitted a ton of black smoke that made everyone in the vicinity cough. Jet yelled to Pikachu, "Spark, use Double Team!"

Spark immediately began to surround Torkoal with blurry after images of himself, making it difficult to hit him. Bill wasn't phased, however, and simply said, "Torkoal, show it your Lava Plume!"

Torkoal let out a small roar as lava erupted from its shell, spraying everything in sight. Pikachu quickly abandoned his Double Team and got to work dodging the spurts of Lava that were shooting everywhere. Although Pikachu was doing an excellent job dodging the attack, Jet could see the stone melting on the walls of the sand pit, "Return, Spark!" After Spark was recalled, Jet put the pokeball away, saying, "I'm not about to risk my Pokémon's safety over this match."

Jet seriously contemplated giving up; he didn't want any more of his Pokémon to get hurt. But he couldn't just give in, he had to try. "Go Hydra!"

Jet's Gyarados came out with a mighty roar. Jet made sure to send her out on the ground above the sand pit and away from the lava. Bill smirked and recalled his Torkoal. "Do you really think some low level Gyarados is going to make a difference against my Pokémon? You're sadly mistaken," Bill laughed and sent forth his final Pokémon, "Go, Elektross!"

A blue, electric eel looking Pokémon was sent out against Gyarados. Jet shouted, "Use Dragon Rage!"

"Use Thunder!"

Elektross dodged Gyarados' attack, and suddenly all the lights went out as a powerful, wicked bolt of electricity burst from the ceiling and struck Hydra. She roared out in pain, and Jet tried to recall her before she took any more damage. Hydra went back into her Net Ball, but she brought some of the shock with her. Jet felt a rush of electricity shoot through his body and went numb. He fell forward into the sand pit and saw only blackness.

**XXX**

Jet opened his eyes to a bright light and shut them quickly. His entire body ached from head to toe. He was not sure exactly where he was, but he knew he was in a warm bed. Jet contemplated going back to sleep, but then a vision popped in his head of his Gyarados being electrocuted. Jet sat up immediately, "HYDRA!"

"Jet!" A head of red hair suddenly swooped down on him and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're ok! I have to call Brian and your family to let them know!"

"Ahh, Amy that hurts!"

"Oh," she said letting go, "I'm sorry!"

Jet looked up at Amy and asked, urgently, "My Pokémon! Are they ok? What happened?"

Amy put her hand on Jet's shoulder and smiled, "Your Pokémon are in Brian's room at the Pokémon Center, along with your bag and all of your stuff. The nurse said that you recalled your Gyarados just in time! There is no permanent damage, she is completely healed."

Jet looked around the room, "Is this the hospital we were at-"

"When I sprang my ankle?" Amy finished, "Yeah. You're lucky, mister! The doctor said you just have to stay overnight and you'll be ready to leave in the morning."

Jet frowned, "I was injured? How?"

Amy sat down and sighed, "You were electrocuted when you recalled your Gyarados in the middle of an attack. You saved her life, but I don't think you'll be able to do any strenuous labor for a couple of weeks."

Jet sat back, "I think I'm starting to remember. There was a battle against…"

"Bill," Amy said sourly, "the _former_ league champion. He was pissed because you wouldn't sell your Gyarados to him."

Jet grunted as he adjusted himself and said, miserably, "Bet he was happy he won."

"He was shocked when you got caught in the attack. He's paying for the hospital bill. He also left his phone number and said he wants you to call him when you get better. Said he was sorry and he wants to make it up to you. If you ask me though, I just think he doesn't want to get sued."

Amy handed Jet Bill's business card, which he placed on his bedside table. "That brings me up to four."

"Excuse me?" Amy asked, "four what?"

Jet sighed and said, "Four losses. Once to Natalie, once to Brian, once to some old dude, and now once to Bill. I don't like losing."

"Pff," Amy smiled, "No one likes losing. What was it grandpa always said about losing battles?"

"Learn from them." Jet said bitterly.

Amy grinned, "Exactly! What did you learn from this loss?"

Jet rolled his eyes, "To pick and choose my battles. I got a long way to go if I want to become a champion."

**Author's Notes:**

**Please Review!**


	35. The Boardwalk

**Author's Notes:**

**I've been busy over the weekend so I really didn't have time to write this chapter. Next one is the first round of the Gym Battle, though!**

The Boardwalk

Jethro sat on the ledge of a bench that over looked the river behind Cerulean Cape. It was there that he had been training with Bill for the past week. Before Jet was discharged from the hospital, Bill had come to visit him.

"I really do want to apologize for the way I acted," Bill had said, "I was fucked up at the time. Also… well, I can get a little overzealous when I see something I want. Don't worry about the hole your Pokémon left in my wall; we'll just call it even."

Unable to really think of a response, Jet just shrugged and grunted. Bill, however, took a seat by Jet's bed and said, "I have a proposition for you, mate. I want you to come train with me for a little bit over by my family's light house."

"Why," Jet asked, "If it's out of pity then no thank you."

"I don't train with people I pity," Bill said sternly, "It's beneficial for both of us. You can show me how you trained your Magikarp into a Gyarados, and I can have my Pokémon spar with yours to get their levels up. I needn't remind you that I have a large collection of TM's and can teach your Pokémon a wide variety of moves."

Jet didn't like Bill very much, but this was too big an opportunity to pass up. He agreed, and they set out for the lighthouse. Amy, Gary, and Brian, Jet had been informed, were all training together for their triple battle. Every now and then Amy or Brian would call him to say how their progress was going, but Jet had his own Gym match to worry about.

Bill sat next to Jet on the bench and smiled, "You have your Gym challenge tomorrow, do you?"

"Yeah," Jet said, "Just admiring the view before the big day."

Bill nodded, "You nervous at all?"

Jet shrugged, "I'm always nervous before a match where people are watching me."

"Ah, stage fright is it? I had that when I was a kid. You'll get over it soon, mate. Trust me, with your skills, you are going to be battling in front of a lot of audiences."

Jet watched the sun in the west and sighed, "Probably another half hour before the sunset starts."

Bill reached in his pocket and said, "I got something for you." He pulled out two tickets and handed them both to Jet, "On the twenty-first in Vermilion, there is a cruise ship called SS Anne that's making its maiden voyage. There are a lot of top class trainers that are going to be there, myself included. Both of these tickets are plus one, so your friends can come too. You should come on the ship, mate. Trust me, you haven't seen luxury until you've been on a cruise ship."

"And this is for trainers?" Jet asked. Bill laughed, "Well, not _exclusively_ for trainers. There are a lot of high society types that will be there as spectators. Believe me, it will be fun. There is a big party going on that night on the ship, so don't be late. The ship sets sail at eighteen hundred on the twenty-first; remember that mate."

Bill stood up to leave and said, "I'm expecting you to be there, Jethro! It's about time you started training with real trainers, not just the locals."

He then walked away. Jet looked down at the ticket in his hand and smiled, "Well, I always _did _want to go on a cruise ship." He then put the tickets in his bag.

In the corner of his eye, Jet saw a Krabby waddling on the rocks on the banks of the river. He smiled to himself and made his way to the Pokémon to capture it. Jet was very fond of Krabby, as they were very common in Pallet Town along with Pidgey and Rattata. He always kind of figured a Krabby may be his first Pokémon because they were always so available.

The Krabby evidently heard Jet sneaking around behind it, because it turned around and used Bubblebeam. Jet quickly side stepped the attack and sent out his Bellsprout, "Use Leaf Blade, Quasimodo!"

The Bellsprout struck the Krabby with one of his leaf like appendages, which was now razor sharp, and got a one hit KO. Jet threw a Pokeball and captured the Krabby immediately. He turned to his Bellsprout and smiled, "That Leaf Blade attack is going to kill in our Gym match tomorrow! Now return, get some rest."

Jet registered the Krabby, deposited it, and grinned to himself. He was glad to have gotten a chance to train with Bill. His Pokémon had learned a bunch of attacks from TM's that he would have to spend weeks teaching them. Against Brock Jet felt as though he was in over his head, but against the Sensational Sisters, he felt he had prepared himself a great deal.

Jet decided to walk back toward the light house. Along the banks of the river, was a boardwalk that led from route 25. There were old closed down shops along the boardwalk. Not too far from this area, was the lighthouse that Bill's family had owned. It was a lot smaller than Jet had thought it'd be, but then again it over looked a river and not an ocean.

Jet walked along the boardwalk, admiring its old timey feel and beauty. He had heard that to the people of Cerulean, this place was very romantic. Walking down this area during the middle of a sunset, Jet could see why.

Jet soon came upon a girl who was sitting on a rail along the side of the walkway, watching the sunset. The girl looked to be in her early twenties. She had red hair that was cut in a sort of Marilyn Monroe style. She had green eyes that stared at the sky as if they were lost in a work of art.

Jet walked up and sat beside her, "Some view, isn't it?"

The girl turned and looked at Jet, "Yeah, it really is."

Jet smiled and asked, "Why is this place so deserted anyway?"

The girl sighed and said, "No one comes around here during the fall. It's a shame, I've always found this place so beautiful."

She looked down at the Pokeballs on Jet's belt and asked, "You're a trainer, huh? Judging by the expensive pokeballs on your belt, I'm guessing you're not a local one either."

Jet smirked, "How do you know I'm not just a rich local?"

The girl raised her eyebrows, "Are you?"

"Nope," said Jet as he turned back to the landscape, "you're right. I'm from Pallet Town."

"Pallet Town? That place sounds familiar."

Jet didn't answer but watched as more Krabby crawled from the river and began to congregate. The girl watched with interest as well and said, "I love them."

"Krabby?" Jet asked, "What do you love about them?"

The girl shrugged and said, "I always had a soft spot in my heart for water Pokémon. You know, most trainers have a policy when it comes to training Pokémon."

Jet smiled, "That so? What's yours?"

The girl turned and asked, "What makes you so sure I'm a trainer?"

Jet rolled his eyes and said, "Just answer the question."

She grinned and said, "My policy is an all-out offensive team of water type Pokémon!"

Jet frowned, "Now you see, I never quite understood why people would want to only train just one type of Pokémon. Isn't that tactically disadvantageous?"

"C'mon," said the girl, "Don't tell me you're one of those? I just like water types. That's really all there is to it. Let me guess, yours is a multi-type policy? You catch the strongest ones you possibly can and train them to take on any type they come across, right?"

Jet thought about it and said, "Yeah, something like that. Except I don't necessarily catch them strong. I prefer to catch them young."

The girl smiled and said, "I get it, builds a stronger bond that way."

"And," Jet added, "You can control _how_ they grow. Shape their stats."

"So," the girl asked, "You're one of those hardcore trainers. The perfectionist, that needs everything to be just so."

"A perfectionist?" Jet repeated, "I just try and play at my Pokémon's strengths."

"Call it what you will," the girl grinned, "but you sound like a perfectionist to me. It's ok, I'm a bit of one myself. I train my Pokémon to hit fast, and hit hard."

"Finally, somebody who speaks my language," Jet said, "Me and you got to battle sometime."

"Maybe," The girl said, "but not tonight. I came out here to relax, clear my head."

Jet turned back to the Krabby and asked, "Are you a local?"

The girl stretched her legs out and said, "Yeah, I'm from here. I left for a bit to go to school, but I came back about a month ago. I'd like to do what you do, though. Travel and all. I was planning on saving some money to go on a trip of my own."

"Oh," Jet said, "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know a lot of places!" She grinned, "I think the first place I'd visit is the South Pole. There are a lot of powerful water and ice type Pokémon down there. Oh, and maybe the tropics! I'd also like to see Rome; I just want to pack my bags and go!"

Jet smiled, "I'd like to go to all those place too, one day. Maybe I should start broadening my horizons."

"Maybe you should!" the girl smiled. Jet and the red-head talked for over an hour. Until the sun went down and the street lamps were lit. They walked along the boardwalk with no real destination talking about the places they would like to go, the things they'd see, the things they'd do.

"And I'd want to climb all the way to the top, just so I could spit over the edge and watch it drop!"

Jet laughed, "What if it lands on someone?"

The girl shrugged and said, "Shit happens. Oh, here's my car." They arrived at a gorgeous looking blue Benz. Jet smiled and said, "Nice whip."

"Thanks, do you want a ride to the Pokémon Center? It's getting late."

"Umm, yeah," Jet said, "that would be great."

The girl grinned at Jet and said, "Hop in!"

Jet got inside. The seats were leather, and the dash lit up like a Christmas tree as she started the ignition. "Hold on, I'm a fast driver!" And fast she was, as they did twenty over the speed limit just going over a bridge. From the boardwalk to the Pokémon Center must have been a twenty minute drive, but Jet's new friend got him there in ten.

"Here we are," she said, "the Center."

"Thanks," Jet said, "umm, maybe we could chill again sometime?"

The girl smiled and asked, "How long are you going to be in town?"

Jet shrugged, "Depends on whether or not you want to go on a date with me." Jet wasn't sure what gave him the courage to say this; it just kind of came out before he could stop it. The red-head, however, smiled even wider and said, "That sounds great! Let me give you my number!"

Jet typed the girl's number into his phone and asked, "What's your name, by the way? I never asked."

"Misty," said the girl, "My name is Misty. I work over at the Cerulean Gym."

**Author's Notes:**

**Next chapter is the Gym Battle for Brian, Gary, and Amy. Stay tuned!**


	36. The Cascade Badge

The Cascade Badge

"Fucking love these things," said Brian through a mouthful of steak, egg, and cheese, "Whoever invented this bagel sandwich has my undying gratitude."

"How about chewing your food before you talk?" Gary said reproachfully, "You're spitting food all over the table."

Brian swallowed and asked, "Always this uptight before a big match?"

Gary shook his head, "I'm not uptight! You just lack civil table matters of any form."

"We're eating at a McDonalds," said Brian dismissively, "table manners here are unnecessary."

"I don't know where you learned table etiquette," Gary sighed, "but in a civil setting, basic manners are never unnecessary."

"Sooo," Brian retorted, "instead of asking me nicely to chew my food, you take the _uncivilized _route and demanded it of me. I got that about right?"

Gary sighed and said, "Could you, _please_, keep your fucking mouth shut when you eat?"

Brian glared at Gary and took another bite of his sandwich. He then loudly chewed his food and swallowed it forcefully, "Better?"

"Much." Gary stated as he pulled out his cell phone to check the time, "We still have ages before the Gym match."

Amy walked up to the table Brian and Gary were sitting at. Gary raised his eyebrows, "Took you a while."

"Why are you so uptight today?" Brian asked.

"Never mind that right now," Amy said, "Jet just texted me. He said he has tickets to this big event going on in Vermilion on the twenty-first."

"What kind of event?" Brian asked.

"A party to celebrate the maiden voyage of the SS Anne!"

Gary looked up and asked, "He got tickets? _Seriously?_"

"That's what he said," Amy grinned as she sat down, "It's like a black tie event. We're going right?"

"Damn straight we're going!" Gary said, "Do you know how many influential trainers are going to be there?"

"Where is Jet anyway?" Brian asked, "Is he still training with Bill?"

"No," said Amy, "He's supposed to meet us at the Gym. He said he was going to watch the battle."

**XXX**

Jet walked through the doors of the Cerulean Pokémon Gym. He was a lot more impressed with the lobby in this Gym than he was at the one in Pewter. He walked up to the receptionist and said, "Hi, my name is Jethro Brown. I called in a couple weeks ago for a Gym challenge."

The receptionist asked, "May I see your trainer's license?"

Jet handed his license over and waited as the lady filled in all of his information into a computer. "You are scheduled for the last battle of the day, which isn't for a few hours. You want to come back later?"

"No, thank you," said Jet taking back his license, "Um… is Misty here? I wanted to see her before my match."

The receptionist nodded and said, "I think she's feeding some of the Pokémon in one of the aqua tanks. I can take you there if you'd like."

Jet smiled, "That would be great."

Jet followed the receptionist down a slew of hallways until they found themselves in front of a set of double doors. "She should be in this room." Jet smiled at the receptionist and said, "Thanks, I'll probably head to the reception desk before my battle."

Beyond the doors was a large room that reminded Jet of his first day working at the research center. There was a large indoor pool with water Pokémon all over the place. At the edge of the pool was Misty feeding a bucket of dead fish to a Dewgong. Jet walked up behind her and said, "So this is where you work, huh?"

Misty yelped and turned around really quick. Jet laughed and said, "I didn't mean to scare you."

Misty, however, did not seem pleased to see Jet, "What are you doing at my job?"

Jet blushed when he realized showing up at Misty's place of work unannounced could be interpreted as creepy. "Umm, I have a Gym battle scheduled for today. I figured I might as well see you while I was waiting."

Misty seemed to relax a bit, "Oh. Sorry, you just scared me is all." She stood up.

Jet scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah that was my bad. I thought you heard me come in."

Misty rolled her eyes and smiled, "Well, obviously if I didn't look over when the doors opened then I didn't hear you come in! But its ok, I'm glad you're here."

Jet smiled back. He then noticed that the swim suit Misty was wearing was very flattering on her body. "I used to work in a place like this," he told her, "back when I was in high school."

"You used to work at a Pokémon Gym?" Misty asked.

"Research center," Jet said as he bent down to pet the Dewgong, "in Pallet Town."

Misty's eyes widened, "That's where I heard of Pallet Town from!"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "What the research center?"

"Yeah, that!" Misty said, "That's where I bought my Horsea from! I saw this video online with this Horsea attacking this boy at th-"

"Wait, hold up!" Jet stood up, "You mean to tell me that _you're_ the one that bought Horsea?"

Misty nodded and said, "You know the Horsea I'm talking about?"

Jet started laughing and said, "Know him? I fought him!"

Misty looked dumbstruck, "Wait a second, don't tell me-"

Jet laughed again, "Yeah."

"You are!" Misty exclaimed, "You are totally that guy!"

Jet grinned and nodded, "That I am."

"Holy fucking shit balls," mumbled Misty with a smirk, "That's just…"

"One big ass coincidence?" Jet finished her sentence, "Yeah, I hear you. I can't believe you're the one who bought Horsea! Do you still have him?"

Misty grinned and turned to Dewgong, "Go get Kingdra for me, sweetie!"

Jet's smile faded, "Kingdra?" He then grinned wider than ever, "He's a Kingdra now? That's fucking crazy!"

Misty nodded and said, "Yeah. It took a while for him to get used to me, but he never outright attacked me."

"Of course not," Jet smiled, "You're his trainer! I was just some stranger trying to give him a bath. Good times," he added fondly, "good times."

Misty giggled, "If you can take a beating like that and reflect on it fondly, you definitely have the makings of a trainer."

Jet smiled and said, "So, since you own a Kingdra, you must be a Class A trainer."

Misty nodded, "Yeah. I'm supposed to inherit this Gym."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "You're wh-?"

He didn't finish, however, because at that very moment Kingdra emerged from the water and stood before Jet. Far from the little, devious, blue water demon he was in his youth, Kingdra was now a large and formidable being. He was about as tall as Jet was now, (about five foot eleven), and was covered in gleaming blue scales. He had a wise and powerful look about him. He faced his trainer with his head held high and proud.

Misty smiled and said, "Kingdra, I want you to meet someone who you may recognize."

Kingdra faced Jet suddenly, but Jet didn't dare flinch or step back. "Do you remember me? I use to give you baths a few years back." Kingdra stared at Jet for a moment; a moment in which Jet was careful not to blink or make sudden movements. He was used to staring down his own Gyarados without fear, but this five star dragon held no allegiance to Jet whatsoever and could therefore hurt him if he made a wrong move.

Kingdra started to growl, and then he suddenly moved forward and wrapped his body around Jet. Misty yelled in shock, "No, don't hurt him!" Kingdra didn't crush Jet, however, but rather held him in a very tight hug. As Jet heard the dragon purr, he gasped through his winded breath, "It's ok! I'm ok!"

Kingdra released Jet and placed its brow against his. Jet smiled and pet Kingdra's cheek. "Nice to see you again too!"

Misty looked very surprised, "Wow. He usually doesn't like anybody but me and my sisters."

Jet asked, "What level is he at, nowadays?"

"Forty," said Misty nonchalantly, "He's one of the stronger Pokémon at this Gym. It's mostly because he used to fight all the time when he was younger. Nowadays he won't want to fight unless he has a real challenge."

"Forty, huh?" Jet asked, "You've come a long way since I last saw you. I couldn't imagine lasting a second against you anymore." Kingdra made a sound that sounded like a half laugh, half growl. "My Pokémon are a different story, though. I'd like for you to go against my Charmeleon one day."

Misty smiled and asked, "Maybe you could battle me later for the Cascade Badge."

Jet turned and asked her, "You're one of the Sensational Sisters?"

Misty laughed and shook her head, "No, those are my three older sisters. They are triplets; they've been calling themselves that for years. They like raising my dad's old Pokémon, but I'm the best at battling out of the four of us. Even they know that."

"So," Jet asked, "This Gym has four leaders?"

"Yup," said Misty as she sat down and put her feet in the water, "My dad used to run this Gym, but he retired after my older sister's became eligible to run the Gym for him. Now he just owns the Gym while they run it. They don't want to run it either, so they're trying to get me to take over."

"Why don't your sisters want to run the Gym?" Jet asked as he sat down on a nearby diving board.

Misty shrugged, "They have this gig as water ballerinas. They're supposed to go on tour with this dance company next summer. I told them I'd run the Gym for them until they got back, but then I'm going back to school."

"So you're like a Gym Leader in training?"

"Well," Misty answered, "I got the Pokémon training part down, but I'm still learning all of the administrative shit that goes along with being a Gym Leader."

"So what do you need to do to be a Gym Leader?" Jet asked, "I've always been curious."

"Umm," said Misty while looking up at the ceiling, "You need a Class A license, for starters. And you also need a league sanctioned Gym. Plus you have to have won first place in an official league battle competition. Or you have to collect three or more badges to prove your skill at battling. Or you have to come in the top four of a regional Pokémon league."

"Oh," Jet said, "That doesn't sound too hard."

Misty raised her eyebrows, "Not that hard? You must be a damn good trainer then. I wonder how long you'll last when we battle."

Jet smiled, "Not to down play you being a Gym Leader or anything! I think that's pretty damn impressive; especially for a girl so young."

Misty smiled, "Thank you."

"I just thought there was a lot more to it, is all."

"Nope!" smiled Misty, "That's it really."

Jet felt his face go red as he said, "You have a beautiful smile."

Misty giggled and said, "Thanks, sweetie! But don't think flattery is going to make me go easy on you!"

Jet grinned and said, "Wouldn't want you to. I'd rather you at your best when I spank that ass."

Misty raised her eyebrows, "Oh, I can't wait to knock you down a few notches! Speaking of which, we should discuss the terms of our battle."

**XXX**

Brian, Gary, and Amy were led into the main battle area by the receptionist. It was a large room with bleachers on every wall that were filled with people. In the middle of the battle area was a huge indoor pool with a narrow walk way for land based Pokémon to fight (It's like the pool in the actual game). On either side of the pool were two platforms for the opposing trainers to stand on. There was also an editor's platform on the side of the pool. Above the bleachers on one side, was a league score board that displayed the Pokémon on each team and their status.

As soon as the challengers entered, the audience applauded politely. Waiting by the pool, were the three Sensational Sisters; Daisy, Violet, and Lily. The receptionist smiled and said, "Here are the challengers!"

Daisy nodded and said, "Ok, you three. We've decided to do a sort of rotation battle. Basically each of you will battle one of us in a one on one match, and then we will move on to the next match as soon as a victor is decided."

"The reason we'll be battling individually instead of in an all-out triple battle," Lily said, "is because the league rules only permits one challenger at a time during Gym Battles."

Gary nodded and said, "I don't mind, I'm more use to single battles anyway."

Amy, however, sighed, "All that triple battle training for nothing, huh?"

Violet gave a half-hearted smile and said, "Sorry, red. You with the glasses, you're up first. I'll be your opponent!"

Brian smiled and said, "Ok, I'm ready!"

Brian was led to his platform where he would battle for the cascade badge. Meanwhile, the editor of the match took his place on his platform. He spoke to the audience through a microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, trainers and civilians! We have a special little battle royal for you today. First, we have three different trainers from Pallet Town going against the Sensational Sisters in three one on one matches!"

The crowd cheered and the editor continued, "After that match, we have a special six on six challenge between another challenger from Pallet Town, and Cerulean's own Misty!"

The crowd cheered even louder, "Yes, that's right! Six on six! Misty is to be the new Gym Leader here, and has already proven herself to be an incredibly formidable opponent! Some have even compared her to her father, who once went five years without ever losing a match. Will Misty's winning streak run out today? For the first time, folks, Cerulean Gym is facing four challengers in one day. If they all win, that will set a new record for most badges handed out in one day. Will the Sensational Sisters be able to defend their title?"

The crowd cheered once more and the editor grinned, "I'm certainly hoping today's challengers are up to the task of putting on a good show. The cascade badge hasn't been handed out in over six months, folks! And our Misty has yet to have to send out more than two Pokémon in one battle. Hopefully this match won't be overly brief. Now, let's get started! Will both trainers please send out their Pokémon?"

Brian took a deep breath and sent his partner, "Go, Wartortle!"

Wartortle was sent out, and immediately dove under water. Violet smiled and sent her Pokémon forth, "Go, Lanturn!" Her half water half electric Pokémon went under water as well.

"Looks like our first challenger, Mr. Brian Chang, is at a type disadvantage! Let's see how this will turn out. Are both trainers ready? Ok, BEGIN!"

Violet immediately yelled, "Use Spark, Lanturn!"

"Get out the water!" Brian cried.

The pool began to glow as an electric current shot through it; but not before Wartortle shot out of the water and landed safely on the ground. Brian tried to think of his next move as Violet said, "Use Wild Charge!"

Lanturn got on deck and surrounded itself with an electric charge. It then shot at its foe at full speed. Brian said, "Jump and use Round!"

Wartortle did as he was told and jumped in the air once again. Lanturn, however, didn't wait for instructions and simply shot a Charge Beam at the airborne Wartortle. The attack hit, and Wartortle was knocked on his back. He didn't give up, however, and stood back up very quickly.

"Nice recovery! Now hit him with Round!"

"Use Spark, Lanturn!"

Wartortle's attack hit first. Lanturn was knocked back with a sound wave and Brian tried to take advantage, "Follow up with Tackle, Wartortle!"

Wartortle charged at Lanturn. Violet quickly shouted, "Use Spark again!"

"Quick, use Protect!"

Lanturn sent another electric charge in all directions. Wartortle used Protect to pull off a daring evasion, however, and came down on Lanturn with a forceful Pound. Lanturn was knocked into the water and the crowd cheered, "This Wartortle isn't giving up without a fight!" said the editor, "This kid knows what he is doing!"

Violet called to Lanturn, "Use Surf, then Spark!"

The water from the pool suddenly pulled together to form a wave. The wave knocked an unsuspecting Wartortle into the pool. The water than lit up again as Lanturn sent electricity running through it.

"Wartortle, get out of there!"

Wartortle did not answer, nor did he exit the water. Brian waited with bated breath and finally decided the match was over. He recalled his Pokémon.

"Wartortle is unable to battle," said the editor, "Lanturn is the winner! That's one challenger down, three more to go!"

Brian stepped down from his platform to find his friends waiting for him, including Jet and a red headed girl Brian didn't know.

"Tough break, Brian." Jet said, "You were doing good for a minute there."

The red head touched Jet's hand and said, "I'm going to talk to my sisters, I'll see you in a bit." Jet nodded and the girl walked away. Brian asked, "Who was that?"

Jet grinned, "Misty, the fourth Gym Leader and my opponent."

"Ohh," said Amy, "That's the girl they were talking about!"

The editor said over the microphone, "Will Amy Oak please step forward for the next battle?"

"That's my cue!" Amy grinned. She limped her way onto the challenger's platform and took in a deep breath; it was time for her first Gym match. The editor said, "Will both trainers send out their Pokémon?"

Amy sighed and said, "Here goes nothing! Let's do it, Ivysaur!"

Ivysaur landed on the ground beside the pool and let out a loud growl. The crowd applauded. They clapped louder still, when Lily sent out her Pokémon, "Go, Ducklett!"

The blue duck Pokémon was sent out and began soaring around the pool; Ivysaur was now at a disadvantage. The editor asked, "Are both trainers ready?"

Amy nodded and so did her opponent, "Alright then, BEGIN!"

"Ducklett, use Aerial Ace!"

"Dive in the water!"

Amy surprised everybody by having Ivysaur dodge his opponent's attack by going under water. Ducklett missed, but was able to pull up and time and redirect its attack by following after Ivysaur in the pool.

"This is unexpected! Both Pokémon are now battling underwater. I know Ducklett is a water type, but I'm not sure- wait, one of them is surfacing!"

Ducklett suddenly burst forth from the pool, quacking in pain as Ivysaur held onto its tail with his teeth. Lily shouted, "Fly around, Ducklett! Knock him off!"

But try as Ducklett might, he could not shake Ivysaur's death-grip. It flew and quacked and flew and quacked until both its wings and throat were sore. Finally, the Ducklett landed. Amy quickly yelled, "Now use Body slam!"

"Ducklett, use Wing Attack!"

Ducklett was unable to maneuver itself fast enough after Ivysaur let go and fell victim to the Body Slam. Amy then had Ivysaur follow up, "Now finish it with Sleep Powder!"

Ivysaur began spraying the spores before he got off of Ducklett. This way, when Ducklett went to catch its breath, it breathed in the powder.

"Ducklett is unable to battle! Ivysaur is the winner!"

The crowd cheered and Amy felt her heart beat out of her chest. She recalled her Ivysaur and made her way off the Platform. Lily came to greet her, "Here is the official league cascade badge; a symbol of your victory here today. Also, take this TM for Bubblebeam, my favorite attack! You can pick up your check with your prize money at the front desk. Congratulations! That Ivysaur of yours is really something!"

Amy took her prize and said, "Thank you! I can't believe I got my first badge!"

Lily turned to Gary and said, "You're up next, kid. You should head over to the platform now."

Gary congratulated his little sister and headed over to the challenger's platform. He gave a little smile as Daisy stood opposite to him. _Finally, _He thought to himself, _It's my time!_

"Ok, our next match is Daisy against challenger Gary Oak. Both trainers send out their Pokémon!"

Gary eagerly sent forth his Pokémon, "Go, Elekid!"

His electric Pokémon was sent forth, ready to put his training to the test. Daisy smirked and sent out her Pokémon, "Go Quagsire!"

Gary took one look at the half water, half ground type Pokémon before him and thought to himself, _Just fucking perfect!_

"Are both trainers ready? Ok, BEGIN!"

"Elekid, use Flash!"

"Use Scald, Quagsire!"

Before Elekid could use his Flash to blind Quagsire, he was hit with a powerful blast of scalding, hot water. He was knocked into Gary's platform and instantly KO'd. Gary felt his insides go numb as the editor announced his defeat. Gary had rarely lost before, let alone on a one hit KO. His little sister had just won a Cascade Badge, and yet he just lost. This was not right.

Behind him, his sister let out a sigh, "He is not going to be happy about this."

Brian raised his eyebrows, "I lost too, it happens. He'll be fine."

Amy sucked her teeth, "Have you _met _my brother before?"

Jet felt his heart pound rapidly fast. He was barely aware of what the others were saying. All he knew was that in a few short minutes, he would have to battle in front of a crowd of people. He suddenly had the urge to pee. Gary sulked as he got down from the platform, "I can't believe my Pokémon was just taken out in one hit. What are they feeding these water Pokémon? Fucking Cyndaquil?"

"It's ok Gary," Amy smiled, "I'll let you guys use my TM! All you need is a water Pokémon!"

Jet nervously headed over to the platform when he saw Misty do the same on the opposite side. His nerves were getting worst with each step. He cursed his stage fright; he really wanted to impress his opponent.

Misty winked at Jet from across the pool. The editor got back on the mic, "After that last, anticlimactic battle, let's hope this challenger has a little more showmanship! Ladies and gentleman, our last match of the evening! Jethro Brown, vs. Misty! Both trainers, please send out your first Pokémon!"

Misty gestured for Jet to go first, so he decided to send out a Pokémon and start out on the defensive, "Go Neo!"

His Abra was sent forth. It sat at the edge of the pool, looking at his surroundings with interest. Misty sent her first Pokémon out, as well, "Go, Frillish!"

The pink, jelly like Pokémon floated above the pool and received a lot of oh's and ah's from the crowd. Misty called to Jet, "You like her? She's new! I got her while I was in school in the Unova Region!"

Jet knew that Frillish was half ghost, and was not expecting one for this battle. Still, it wasn't as though he didn't have tricks of his own up his sleeve.

"Are both trainers ready? Ok, BEGIN!"

**Author's Notes:**

**I'm not going to give you the whole team, just the ones in battle for this chapter. Only because I'm tired and lazy and it's way too late to be writing.**

**Brian's Wartortle – Lvl.26/Male**

**Amy's Ivysaur – Lvl.27/Male**

**Gary's Elekid – Lvl.20/Male**

**Violet's Lanturn - Lvl.23/Male**

**Lily's Ducklett – Lvl.22/Female**

**Daisy's Quagsire – Lvl.35/Male**

**You'll have to wait until next chapter for Jet and Misty's teams. The battles in this chapter were short, but the match in the next chapter is going to be nice and long! Be sure to stay tuned, and don't be afraid to share your thoughts!**

**P.S.**

**I would have had this chapter up sooner but the whole security code for my log in isn't showing up.**


	37. Steam

**Author's Notes:**

**I was asked by Luke to explain the concept of trade evolution in my story, so here it goes! Trade evolutions don't exist in this little tale. I imagine the Pokémon that are supposed to evolve by being traded can evolve at any time if they are cared for enough, (like Togepi to Togetic).**

**Those that evolve with a held item are the same, but their environment plays a factor. For example, Onix doesn't need Metal Coat to evolve if it's ready and there is Metal nearby. I just don't see the whole trading thing as practical. And I always did hate not being able to evolve my Pokémon in the games because I had to trade.**

Steam

Misty called to Frillish, "Use Night Shade!" But not before Jet told Abra, "Neo, hit her with Charge Beam!"

Frillish' eyes turned black as she prepared to use her Night Shade, but Abra's attack hit first. Jet had taught Abra to focus his electricity from Thunder Wave into a beam of energy. After having Abra practice this attack again and again, the little psychic Pokémon had finally learned to use the electric attack, Charge Beam.

"Frillish!"

"Now follow up with Thunder Punch!"

Abra teleported to close the distance between him and his foe, and struck with a low-powered Thunder Punch. Not only did Abra have trouble learning this move to begin with, but his attack stat was so dismal that it hardly registered to his opponent. Misty told Frillish, "Use Bubblebeam to slow it down, girl!"

The pink Frillish let out a torrent of foam at Abra. Jet was about to tell Abra to teleport, but the attack had already hit. Abra was knocked back into the water. Jet yelled, "Teleport and use Charge Beam, again!"

"Use Night Shade, Frillish!"

Abra teleported to Frillish' left side and began to charge energy for his attack, but Frillish struck first this time. Using Night Shade, Frillish was able to knock out her opponent; winning the first round for Misty.

"Abra is unable to battle; Frillish is the winner!" The score board reflected the same, as Abra's name and sprite went dark while Frillish remained. "Neo, return! Go, Quasimodo!"

Jet's Bellsprout was sent forth. Misty told Frillish, "Use Will-O-Wisp!"

A bluish-white flame was shot at Bellsprout, but Jet quickly said, "Use Reversal!" Bellsprout slid forward and avoided the Will-O-Wisp while simultaneously reversing himself behind Frillish. Jet then said, "Use Vine Whip!"

"Use Substit-"

But Misty was cut short as Bellsprout finished Frillish with his Vine Whip. That, coupled with Abra's earlier efforts, knocked Frillish out for the count.

"Frillish is unable to battle! Bellsprout is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as Misty recalled her Frillish. Bellsprout looked quite pleased with himself. "What's this?" asked the editor, "Bellsprout is evolving!"

And so he had. For at that moment, Jet's Bellsprout had just evolved into a Weepinbell. The crowd cheered again and Misty smiled, "You aren't half bad! Not on my level, of course, but not bad."

Jet laughed, "Just send out your next Pokémon, I have a badge to win!"

Misty smirked as she sent out her next Pokémon, "Go Seaking!"

Misty's orange and black horned fish was sent into the depths of the pool. Jet told Weepinbell, "Stay alert while it's underwater, Quasimodo! Be prepared to use Vine Whip when it surfaces! Use Growth!"

Weepinbell began to glow as it raised its attack and special attack. Misty told her Seaking, "Use Peck!"

Seaking jumped out of the water with incredible speed and stabbed Weepinbell with its horn. Because Peck used a wind type aura, the attack was super effective. Jet called, "Hang in there Quasimodo! When it surfaces again, use Reversal and then hit him with Grass Knot!"

Weepinbell nodded, just as Seaking once again surfaced to use Peck. Jet gritted his teeth; Seaking was too fast and Weepinbell lost a lot of mobility when he evolved. Those Pecks were going to add up if he didn't do something fast.

"Spray poison powder in the water, Quasimodo!"

"Use Ice Beam, Seaking!"

Weepinbell released a cloud of poisonous spores into the pool just before Seaking resurfaced and shot a beam of freezing energy at him. Weepinbell was hit in mid spore, and was frozen solid.

"Weepinbell is unable to battle! Seaking is the winner!"

Jet recalled his Weepinbell as Seaking dove back in the water. _If Quasimodo just had more time, He could've poisoned the whole pool! Looks like I'm going to have to win this the hard way._

"Go Spark! Show them what you're made of!"

Jet's Pikachu was sent into battle. Misty had a slightly worried look on her face when she saw the electric mouse. She called out to Seaking, "Use Scald, girl!"

"Use Double Team, Spark!"

Seaking shot out of the water and sent a torrent of hot water at one of Pikachu's after images. Jet smirked and said, "Take aim and use Thunderbolt!"

The crowd covered their eyes as Pikachu sent out a powerful thunderbolt which struck Seaking full-force. Seaking flopped on the deck, struggling to move. Jet followed up, "Finish him with Volt Tackle!"

But Misty quickly recalled her Pokémon, "Seaking is paralyzed, so I'm withdrawing her from the match!"

The score board showed Seaking was now out of play, and Pikachu as the winner. The crowd cheered. Amy whispered to Gary, "Whoa. That Seaking had to be at least level thirty three and Spark took it out with one thunderbolt!"

Gary shrugged, "That Pikachu isn't going to last very long. Something tells me Misty has something good hidden up her sleeve."

Misty grinned as she sent out her next Pokémon, "Go Carracosta!"

Her half water, half rock type tortoise landed on deck with a loud thump. It let out an earsplitting roar that made everyone flinch. Jet knew that Volt Tackle wouldn't do much against this beast; Carracosta were typically known for their defense. Still, in finding a strong, defensive/offensive water type Pokémon, Misty had violated her policy; Carracosta was not very fast at all. Either way Jet saw it, his Pikachu was about to run circles around this monster.

"Use Scald, Carracosta!"

"Dodge it and use Thunderbolt!"

Carracosta was much too slow. Pikachu jumped high into the air before the water type even opened its mouth to use its attack. Once above his opponent, Pikachu unleashed yet another powerful Thunderbolt. Carracosta roared in pain. Misty yelled, "Use Rollout!"

Carracosta withdrew into its stone like shell and began to roll on deck to gain momentum. Jet knew Thunderbolt wasn't going to be as effective as long as Carracosta kept rolling, so he told his Pikachu, "Use tail whip to knock him in the water, Spark!"

Pikachu nodded and waited for Carracosta to come to him. Gary asked Brian and Amy, "What's he doing? Pikachu is going to be squashed like a bug! Why doesn't he just use another electric attack?"

Brian smiled, "I know what he's doing! He's trying to get Carracosta in the pool so his Thunderbolt will be even more effective!"

Sure enough, Pikachu used his tail at the very last second to redirect Carracosta's trajectory into the water. Once his foe was in the pool, Pikachu wasted no time in unleashing yet another Thunderbolt.

"Carracosta is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"

Misty looked highly surprised as she recalled her Pokémon. Jet grinned and said, "I thought you weren't going to take it easy on me? C'mon Misty, I thought you'd try a little harder than that!"

Misty laughed and said, "Wow, you really have a death wish, huh? Ok then, go, Swampert!"

Jet immediately regretted baiting Misty as she sent forth the type effective Swampert against Pikachu. _Me and my big mouth!_ He thought as he recalled Pikachu. Brian turned to Amy and said, "Is it just me, or does this chick have a really sick team of water Pokémon?"

Amy nodded and said, "I wonder what he's going to use against this one?"

"Go, Sora, use Fly!"

Jet's Pidgeotto was sent out and immediately started flying around the room at very high speeds. Amy said, "Fly is a difficult move to pull off! You need to build up a lot of momentum and be able to maneuver yourself just right in order for it to work." And so she was right. In order to pull off Fly, one needed to move at extremely high speeds and strike their opponent just right. It's a difficult move to pull off because even if your Pokémon is fast enough, it still hat to hit its foe just right and pull up in time, which takes a great deal of skill.

"Swampert," called Misty, "Brace yourself for the attack and prepare to use Strength!"

Swampert braced himself while watching the Pidgeotto gain more and more speed. Finally, the bird Pokémon shot at Swampert at an incredible pace. The crowd flinched as Pidgeotto's attack hit, and Swampert was knocked into the water.

After landing in the pool, however, Swampert shot a Water Pulse at Pidgeotto, who was hit and knocked onto the deck. Jet quickly said, "Sora, use roost!"

Swampert climbed back on deck, but Pidgeotto flew up to the ceiling and hung upside down on one of the lights. She then began to glow as she healed herself.

Down below, Misty told Swampert, "Don't let it heal, use Water Pulse!"

Swampert opened its mouth and shot out another ring of energy, (with a water type aura) at his opponent. Unfortunately for Swampert, Pidgeotto had already just healed and dodged the attack just in time. Jet grinned and said, "Sora, use Fly!"

Pidgeotto dodged yet another water pulse, and began to fly around again, gaining momentum. "This battle is definitely heating up, folks!" said the editor, "Who'd have thought Brown would give Misty a run for her money?"

"What do you think?" Brian asked, "Do you think Jet can win this one?"

"I don't know," Amy said, "Misty has some seriously tough water Pokémon. Jet isn't as outmatched as he was with Bill, but I'm not sure if he can win this one."

Pidgeotto hit again with another fly. Swampert was knocked back, but recovered his ground quickly. Misty yelled, "Use Ice Beam!"

Jet said, "Use another Fly!"

Pidgeotto was unable to dodge Swampert's Ice Beam, however, and fell next to the bleachers. "Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Swampert is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as Jet recalled Sora. Now both trainers had only three Pokémon each, and Jet was definitely starting to feel the pressure. Behind him he heard Brian yell, "You better get this badge, Jet! Or I'm gonna kick your ass after this match!"

Jet turned back and smirked at his best friend. _Well, I guess it's time to bring out the big guns. _"Ok, let's go Hydra!"

From Jet's Net ball, the great sea serpent was unleashed onto the battlefield. Misty looked shocked at first, and then excited, "Oh my god, Jet! Why didn't you tell me you had a Gyarados? I always wanted one! It's so beautiful!"

The audience seemed less adoring and more fearful, "What the hell is that?"

"It's a Gyarados, you dumbass. Don't you watch animal planet?"

"Where the fuck did he get a Gyarados?"

"Well, well, folks!" said the editor, "Things just got a whole lot more interesting!"

Misty turned to Swampert and said, "Use Stone Edge!"

"Hydra, use Dragon Rage!"

Swampert's arm suddenly became incased in a blade made from stone, and it charged at his opponent. Gyarados wasn't having that shit, however, and shot Swampert with a blast of Dragon Rage. The Swampert was not only knocked back several meters, but his Stone Edge blade was now broken. Jet grinned and said, "Now hit him with Waterfall, Hydra!"

"Use Strength, Swampert!"

Hydra covered herself with a veil of water and shot at Swampert. Her foe, for his part, charged fearlessly at Hydra, cocking back his strong arm as he did so. There was a loud, CRACK, as both Pokémon collided. Hydra was knocked back, hard, into the pool. Swampert was knocked into the wall behind Misty. For a moment, neither Pokémon got back up. Then, simultaneously, the stood up together; Hydra half submerged in the pool and Swampert already charging at his foe with another Stone Edge. Jet quickly said, "Hit him with Dragon Rage!"

Swampert pounced at his opponent, ready to strike. But at the last minute, Hydra shot him down with another Dragon Rage. Swampert was hit at point-blank range, and landed in the pool. Misty yelled, "Hit it with Ice Beam!"

Jet yelled, "Dragon Rage!"

Hydra used Dragon Rage once more, but unnecessarily as her opponent was already knocked out. Once the steam from Hydra's last attack cleared, the crowd gasped as Swampert was found floating face down in the pool.

"Swampert is unable to battle! Gyarados is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as Gyarados panted. That strength had taken a lot out of her. Misty called to Jet and said, "Ok, I'm impressed! You're a lot better than I thought you'd be!"

Jet smiled and said, "Thank you!"

"But that doesn't mean you're winning this battle," smiled Misty as she sent out her next Pokémon, "Go, Dewgong!"

"Hydra, return!" Jet recalled Gyarados, "Rest for when I need you, girl." He let out a long sigh. Victory was close at hand, yet so far away. "Ok, Spark, you're up!"

Jet once again sent out his Pikachu. _I just hope she doesn't send out who I think she will in the last round. _"Use Thunderbolt!"

"Dewgong, use Ice Beam!"

Dewgong shot its Ice Beam at Pikachu, who quickly jumped out the way and hit his foe with Thunderbolt. Dewgong was knocked on its back, and Jet followed up the attack, "Now hit it with Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu immediately surrounded himself with a strong electric charge and shot at his foe. Dewgong recovered from the Thunderbolt and used watergun to knock Pikachu back. It worked, but electricity surrounding Pikachu traveled up the watergun and paralyzed Dewgong. Jet asked Misty, "Do you want to keep going, or do you want to end this round now?"

As an answer, Misty recalled her Dewgong and said, "She's out. You win that round."

The crowd cheered and Jet felt his excitement raise. _I'm actually going to win this! _"For my final Pokémon," Misty smiled, "I choose, Kingdra!"

Jet felt his excitement die down a bit as Misty sent forth her water dragon. Jet took a deep breath and said, "Let's do this! Spark, use Double Team!"

"Kingdra, use Hydro Pump!"

Kingdra's attack missed, but the force of the water sprayed everywhere and knocked Pikachu into the pool. Misty said, "Now hit it with Dragon Rage!"

Pikachu dove underwater before Kingdra's attack could hit. _That's it! Make him follow you into the water!_

"Kingdra, whatever you do, don't go in the water! That Thunderbolt is too powerful!"

Jet let out a sigh as his plan went out of the window. "Spark, use Thunderwave!"

Pikachu emerged from the pool directly behind Kingdra and shot out a paralyzing current of electricity. Kingdra sensed the danger behind him, however, and jumped into the air to avoid the attack. While in mid air, Kingdra used another Hydro Pump, but missed as Pikachu slid out of the way on the wet floor.

"Kingdra, use Smoke Screen!"

"Use Thunderwave on the ground, Spark!"

Kingdra sent forth a gush of black smoke that covered the field. Jet gritted his teeth. If his plan worked, the electricity from Pikachu's attack should follow the water on the ground and paralyze Kingdra. Jet told Spark, "When you're done, get back in the water and use Thunderbolt!"

He saw his Pikachu hop out of the cloud of smoke and dive into the pool. The water lit up from the Thunderbolt and vapor started to rise from the surface. It had absolutely no effect on Kingdra, however, as he was still out of the pool.

"Why would Jet waste an attack like that?" Brian asked, "What is he thinking?"

"I don't know," said Amy, "but he never does an attack during a battle for no reason. He must have something up his sleeve."

Misty called to Kingdra, "Attack with Dragon Breath!"

"Dodge it, Spark!"

Pikachu successfully dodged the attack. The energy from Kingdra's Dragon Breath heated the water where Spark had been just seconds ago, making more of the water evaporate. Jet told Pikachu, "Get out of the pool and use Thunderbolt on the water!"

If Spark found this command strange, he didn't show it. He immediately jumped out on the side of the pool and sent a bolt of electricity into the water. Several people in the audience laughed. Misty whispered to herself, "What the hell is he planning?"

Gary tapped Amy and said, "He's trying to heat the pool!"

Sure enough, more vapor rose from the surface of the water. Amy frowned, "But why is he- ohh!" It suddenly hit her, "I get it!"

"I don't know what you're playing at," Misty called to Jet, "but your Pikachu can't avoid Kingdra's attacks forever! Use Hydro Pump!"

Kingdra shot another torrent of water at Spark, but missed again. The editor got on the mic and said, "It looks like a stalemate, folks! Pikachu is too quick for Kingdra to hit him at that far of a distance but Kingdra won't go in the water to come after Pikachu!"

Jet told Pikachu, "Go around the pool and get back on the deck, Spark! We're attacking head-on!"

Pikachu nodded and headed over to the deck that extended to both ends of the pool. Misty was getting weary, "Just what is he planning?"

Pikachu was now facing Kingdra across the narrow no-man's-land that was the deck. Jet thought to himself, _Kingdra knows he can't hit Spark at this distance; he's just too fast! So He'll try to close the distance, then I'll see if my Thunderwave worked!_

"Spark, use Thunderbolt on the pool again!"

Pikachu did as he was told and Misty sighed, "This is getting ridiculous! Kingdra, use Waterfall!"

Kingdra surrounded himself with a veil of water and went to charge at Pikachu. His charge was very slow, however, and he stopped mid attack; the Thunderwave had worked. Misty gave a surprised, "What? What's wrong?"

Jet grinned, "Ok, Spark, now Volt Tackle your opponent into the pool!"

Pikachu nodded and charged at his opponent. Misty yelled, "Quick, use Hydro Pump!" His reaction was too slow due to the paralysis, however, and Pikachu's attack worked perfectly. Kingdra was knocked into the water by Spark's Volt Tackle. Jet quickly yelled, "Now use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu sent a bolt of electricity after Kingdra, which lit up the pool. The editor said over the mic, "I don't believe this, folks! It looks as if Pikachu somehow paralyzed Kingdra during the course of the battle, and succeeded in shocking him with his deadly Thunderbolt! Will Kingdra last?"

When the vapor from the water cleared, Kingdra was back on the deck, panting heavily with several burns on his body. Jet told Spark, "Finish him with one more Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu charged at Kingdra immediately, full-force. Misty yelled, "No! Use Hydro Pump!"

This time Kingdra reacted just in time. He hit Pikachu with a point-blank ranged Hydro Pump. The electric mouse let out a squeal as he was knocked back about thirty feet, where he lay unconscious.

"Pikachu is unable to battle, Kingdra is the winner!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Jet recalled Pikachu. _I really thought I had him for a second, there. Still, Pikachu did weaken him. If I heat that pool up more, than maybe I can burn him and slow him down more. I can still win this!_

Jet took a deep breath and sent out his next Pokémon, "Go Hydra!"

Jet was careful to send his Gyarados out on the side of the pool. _I got to keep that pool heated! That way if he goes in, he'll get burned. If he stays out, than his maneuverability is shot!_

"Hydra, use Dragon Rage!"

"Protect, Kingdra!"

Hydra shot a ball of energy at her foe, but missed as Kingdra used Protect to avoid the attack. Hot water splashed everywhere as the Dragon Rage exploded in the pool. Misty yelled, "Good job! Now counter with Dragon Breath!"

"Use Thunderbolt, Hydra!"

The two attacks met in midair and let off another loud, BANG! The crowd began to scream and leave their seats; this battle was getting more and more dangerous. Neither Jet, nor Misty showed signs of stopping, however.

"Hydra, jump the pool and use Slam!"

"Use Protect, and counter with Dragon Breath, Kingdra!"

People screamed again as the colossal Gyarados jumped into the air and brought her tail down on the deck; breaking the concrete. Misty's plan worked, however, and Kingdra was able to move out of the way just in time and shoot Gyarados with Dragon Breath. The sea serpent let out a tremendous roar as she fell back after being hit with the blast.

Gyarados was already weakened from her previous round with Swampert, and now she was out for the count. The editor of the match had fled, leaving his mic behind. Jet simply recalled his Gyarados and told Misty, "Hell of a Kingdra you have, there!"

Misty grinned, "I haven't had this much fun in a while!"

Jet took out his Ultra Ball and kissed it, "It's all up to you, Thorn!"

He then sent out his final Pokémon, Charmeleon. To say Charmeleon was at a disadvantage because he was facing a high level water/dragon type would be untrue. If one was to factor in the fact that Kingdra was both weakened, and paralyzed, and slightly burned, then one could see how this match could go either way.

"Don't get close until I tell you," Jet told Thorn, "Keep at a distance and be ready to dodge his water attacks!"

Thorn nodded and faced his foe, which was now panting heavily but determined to keep battling. Misty went first, "Use Water Pulse, Kingdra!"

"Jump and use Dragon Rage!"

Thorn avoided Kingdra's attack and shot a ball of energy at him. The Dragon Rage hit with a loud, BANG, and knocked the water dragon into the pool. Jet quickly told Thorn, "Now use Flame Burst while he's in the water!"

Thorn shot a powerful blast of fire into the pool which exploded after hitting its target. Jet did not wait to see the damage and shouted, "Great, again!"

Thorn immediately repeated fire. Jet yelled, "Again!" soon after. Five times Thorn used Flame Burst. Jet only had Thorn stop because steam had now filled the room. Across the pool, Misty shouted to Kingdra, "Are you ok?"

Jet heard a weak growl to Thorn's right and shouted, "Fire!"

Thorn wasted no time in firing another Dragon Rage at his obscure foe. Misty cried out in panic. Jet began to feel extremely hot. The arena was becoming a god damn hot spring. The steam began to clear and Jet could make out Thorn's flame. Jet told Thorn, "Sniff him out, and use Fire Fang!"

Thorn nodded and moved forward into the steam. Misty yelled, "If he comes near you, Kingdra, use Water Pulse!"

Jet waited with bated breath until Thorn came back to his platform a minute later and shook his head. Jet asked, "You couldn't find him?"

Thorn shook his head again and pointed at the steam, which began to clear. Floating in the water, (both unconscious and badly burned), was Kingdra. Jet felt as if his heart were going to beat out of his chest. He laughed and motioned for Thorn to join him on the platform. "You were brilliant, Thorn! Way to turn up the heat on your opponent!"

Across the pool, Misty realized her Kingdra was defeated and recalled him. She then yelled to Jet, "Go around the pool and come over here!" Jet recalled his Charmeleon and walked off his Platform. Brian was waiting for him and clapped him on the shoulder, "Way to go, Jet!"

Jet grinned and looked around, "Where is everybody?"

"Oh, the editor and the other Gym Leaders had everyone evacuate. Amy wanted to stay, but Gary made her leave because of the cast. You know, she wouldn't be able to leave in time."

Jet nodded and said, "Come with me real quick." As they made their way to the other side of the pool, the steam had completely cleared away. The room was a wreck; there was water everywhere. There were also little flames floating on top of the water that were slowly dying out. The deck in the middle of the pool was broken halfway down, (courtesy of a certain Gyarados!).

When Jet came across Misty, she was pulling something from a red bag she had at her platform. "That was an amazing battle, Jet! First time I ever lost a Gym match! But I think you got a little carried away towards the end." She then held out her hand, which held a small badge shaped like a drop of water, "I hereby present you with the official cascade badge! This badge is proof of your victory here at the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym! And as an added bonus," she held out her other hand, "This TM teaches Water Pulse! Not only is it a reliable offensive attack, but it may also cause your opponent to become confused."

Jet grinned and took his prizes, "Thank you, Misty! I got to say, you're one hell of a Gym Leader."

She grinned and asked, "What gave you the idea to heat the pool anyway?"

Jet shrugged, "Well, you kept using Scald, which I knew could cause serious burns. And I saw the pool start to heat up when my Gyarados shot a Dragon Rage into it, so I figured it'd be a nice set up in case I had to fight with my Charmeleon."

Misty smirked, "Very shrewd. Now let's get out of this room; it's like a Sauna in here!"

**Author's Notes:**

***Jet's Team:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn – Lvl.30, Male**

**Pikachu/Spark – Lvl.30, Male**

**Gyarados/Hydra – Lvl.27, Female**

**Pidgeotto/Sora – Lvl.25, Female**

**Abra/Neo – Lvl.19, Male**

**Weepinbell/Quasimodo – Lvl.22, Male**

***Misty's Team:**

**Kingdra – Lvl.40, Male**

**Dewgong – Lvl.34, Female**

**Swampert – Lvl.37, Male**

**Carracosta – Lvl.37, Male**

**Seaking – Lvl.35, Female**

**Frillish – Lvl.25, Female**

**The whole chapter is really just one big ass Pokémon battle. Next chapter will deal with the aftermath and probably the departure from Cerulean City, depending on how long the chapter is when I write it out.**

**I probably won't post the next chapter until the weekend or early next week. Let me know what you thought of the battle though! Did you like it, did you hate it, did you find it unrealistic?**

**As for the high levels of Jet's Pokémon, don't despair. He will have plenty of powerful opponents that will make him work for his money! Just a warning now, three of Jet's Pokémon will be deposited before he heads to Vermilion. I'm not saying which yet but I will say that any Pokémon he stores away, He will probably use at a later date. There are a few I know for sure that I'm using later.**

**But anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter, which will be posted at the end of the week, (probably), and be sure to leave your thoughts in a review!**

**And thank you for reading!**


	38. Date Night

Date Night

Brian, Gary, Amy, and Jet all headed to a sports bar after their battle at the Cerulean Gym. Jet had bet a lot of money on his match, so he decided to treat everyone.

"To our victory!" smiled Amy as she raised her glass in Jet's direction. He smiled as well, "May we have many more over the upcoming months!" Brian clanked glasses with the two of them enthusiastically; genuinely happy for his best friends' triumph. Gary was less enthusiastic, yet he clanked glasses all the same.

"So, Amy," Brian asked, "Are you going to start collecting badges too?"

"I'm not sure," Amy said after taking a sip of her drink, "If I do it will be after this damn cast comes off. It really itches."

The server walked up and asked, "So have you guys decided on what you want to eat?"

"Umm, yeah," said Jet absent mindedly while texting Misty, "Let me get the double decker quesadillas and an order of your wonton tacos."

Brian ordered some hot wings while the Oaks asked the server to come back in a few minutes. Brian looked over at Jet's phone and asked, "Are you texting the Gym Leader you battled today?"

Jet nodded and said, "Yeah, I got her number earlier." Brian frowned and asked, "Did you just send her a smiley face?"

Jet locked his phone and said, "Bitches love the smiley face, Brian."

"What? No they don't!" he then turned to Amy and asked, "Umm, do they? I mean, do you?"

"Smiley faces are all part of flirting, Brian." Amy said while trying to decide her order, "I use them all the time."

"Yeah," Brian argued, "but you're a girl! Guys don't send smiley faces!"

"I do," said Gary as if that settled the matter, "all the time. It's like when a girl sends you a 'heyy' with two y's."

"Wait," Brian frowned, "Isn't that just a typing mistake?"

Gary laughed and said, "No, it means she wants the di-"

Amy elbowed Gary and pointed to the table behind them, which had kids in it. "Watch your mouth," Amy said.

"Their parents probably cuss all the time," Jet interjected, "I don't think he'll exactly scar them for life if he uses profanity."

The server came back over to take the sibling's orders. Meanwhile, Misty sent Jet a text asking when they were to go on their date. He texted back, _I was thinking tomorrow night if ur free._

He received the response, _Hell yeah I'm free! I'll pick you up round 8?_ Jet smiled and told her that sounded great. Gary asked, "What are you grinning about?"

"Nothing," said Jet, locking his phone, "I just got a date with Misty tomorrow night."

"You can't go," said Gary, "We're leaving tomorrow morning for Vermillion!"

Jet leaned back and said, "No, _you're _leaving tomorrow. I'm staying down here for a couple of days and I'm meeting you guys at the Vermillion Pokémon Center bright and early on the twenty first."

"If I didn't know any better," said Amy, "I'd say you don't like traveling with people."

"Except for Natalie," Brian corrected her, "And we all know how that turned out."

"Look," sighed Jet, "I really like this girl, Misty, and I just want to spend some time with her before I'm whisked away to destinations unknown."

Amy nodded, "I can respect that."

Gary however, said, "You're kidding right? There will be other girls! I guarantee you, there are a million of them out there just waiting for you to stick your little pecker inside of them," he was elbowed again by his sister before continuing, "so don't get stuck on fish lips over there at the Gym. You have our tickets, so you need to come with us."

Jet went into his jacket and pulled out the SS Anne tickets, "If that was all you were worried about you should have said something." He handed Gary the tickets, "A sign of good faith. If I don't make it by time the twenty first rolls around, just invite one of those millions of woman you were talking about to a night she won't forget."

Gary took the tickets and said, "I'll hold you to that, Brown."

The server came out with everyone's food and placed it all on the table. Brian turned to Amy and said, "Speaking of dates, what about ours?"

Jet looked up and asked, "What date?"

Amy said, "Oh yeah, Brian bet me if he could beat me in a battle then I would let him take me out."

Jet smirked and looked at Brian, "Oh really? Stepping up there, huh?"

Brian went slightly red, and Amy said, "I was thinking the SS Anne thing could count as our date. Otherwise, you have to wait until the cast comes off."

This was not what Brian was expecting; or hoping for. Still, he put on a smile and told Amy, "That sounds great."

The next day, Jet bade farewell to his friends as they left the Center early to go to Vermillion. Misty had called him that morning to say she was getting off early, so she was picking him up at six instead of eight. Jet decided to spend the rest of the day shopping and preparing for his trip. He now had over thirty grand to spend, so he had to exercise a lot of caution not to spend it all at once.

The first thing Jet did was donate some of his more worn out travel clothes to the local Good Will. After that, he went to buy some new clothes that were fit for travel. As well as a new pair of timberlands and some running shoes.

After clothes shopping, Jet replenished some of his rations for hiking trips. It all fit into his food storage container which could be reduced to a capsule for convenience. He also bought a new water bottle to stay hydrated.

Then Jet went to the Pokemart to get medicines and pokeballs. He didn't need a lot of medicines, as he had previously stocked up on those. So he instead bought a surplus of different types of pokeballs fit for whatever he may face. These were the most expensive of his supplies, and he spent about fifteen thousand on just pokeballs alone.

After Jet was done shopping, He went to his room to get ready for his date. He wore some of his better clothes that night, so he would not go out looking like a fucking hiker. By the time six o'clock rolled by, Jet was standing outside of the Pokémon Center wearing all black with a dark brown leather jacket. He reflected to himself amusingly that all he needed was a cigarette and he'd probably look like he was something straight out of Goodfellas.

Misty's blue Benz pulled up. Jet smiled and walked over to the passenger side door and opened it, "So. Where are we headed?" he asked as he got in. "Oh," said Misty thoughtfully, "I was just thinking we could head down town." Misty wore a white blouse that showed just the right amount of cleavage and some skinny jeans. Her hair was straightened and cut with bangs.

"You look great!" smiled Jet as Misty pulled off. She simply grinned and put on some music as they rode into the night. It wasn't long before Misty parked her car at a meter in center city Cerulean. "I figured we could walk from here. There's this bowling alley I want to take you to."

The bowling alley she spoke of looked almost like a dance club rather than a place families could have light a hearted game night. There was a bar inside, as well as waitresses in tight shirts and short skirts. The bowling lanes had black lights over them. There was also techno music playing in the background.

Jet had never gone bowling before. Now that he did, he discovered that he wasn't particularly good at it. Misty was a pro apparently. She got strike after strike, and lightly gloated as Jet missed pin after pin. "I'm not sure I'm very good at this," Jet said as Misty won the game with her final strike, "I think I saw some pool tables back there somewhere, want to try that out?"

Misty grinned, "Sure, but go easy on me!"

As it turned out, Misty was an even better pool shark then she was a bowler. After losing the first game by a landslide, Jet got serious. He lost a second time by two balls, and insisted they play best three out of five. Misty found Jet's losses very amusing, "You're not fond of losing, are you?"

Jet laughed, "I don't mind losing at all. I just don't want to get my ass handed to me all night at every game we play."

"Then step your game up!"

Jet leaned down to shoot his next ball and asked, "So what are you going to school for anyway?"

He shot his ball and sunk it into the side pocket, then moved on to the next one. "Biology," Misty said, "marine biology to be more specific."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Jet asked as he tried to line up his next shot, "So you want to be a marine biologist, huh?"

"What I want to do," Misty responded as she chalked her stick, "is be a researcher for aquatic Pokémon. How about you? You want to go around challenging gyms all your life?"

Jet hit the cue ball and said, "Not exactly. I want to get into Pokémon medicine, but I'm waiting to go to school."

Misty asked, "Waiting for what?"

Jet smiled, "Until I beat the regional's."

"Well, you got two badges in less than two months," said Misty thoughtfully, "I could see you heading to the regional's in about a year. If you keep the pace you're at now, that is."

"That's the plan." Jet frowned as he looked at the table before him. He had cleared all of his balls off the table except for the eight. The only problem was, Misty's balls were still scattered across the table and made it impossible for a straight shot. She smirked at him, "Don't scratch!"

Jet stood back and took a look at his options. He could bank the shot, but he didn't see himself actually making the eight into the pocket. Then he tried walking around the table to see if he had anywhere else to go.

"Just shoot, Jet! You aren't making it, any way you look at it."

Jet shook his head, "Nah, I got a shot. Three rails; I'm going to bank it off of this side," Jet pointed to the rail opposite of his cue ball, "then off of here, then off of here, and then it will hit the eight in this corner." He tapped the corner where he was going to shoot the eight in.

"If you make that shot than I'll go skinny dipping with you!" laughed Misty, "You can't make that shot, no fucking way!"

Jet smirked and leaned down to prepare to make his shot. Fortunately, the little white dots on the sides of the table helped him line it up perfectly. He hit the cue ball. It bounced off the opposite rail, off the second rail, third, hit the eight, and then…

"No fucking way," said an awestruck Misty, "How the hell did you make that shot?"

Jet grinned and gestured for her to come over, "Let me show you."

Misty walked over to where Jet was. "Now, if I put the fifteen where the eight was and the cue back where it was," said Jet, "and you stand over here. Now get low, poke your butt out and line up your shot-"

"You're just trying to get me to bend over!"

"Now focus on hitting the cue where that white dot is."

"The middle one right there?"

"Mhm," mumbled Jet, "and shoot whenever you're ready."

Misty smiled and took aim. After lining up her shot, she hit the cue. It bounced off all three rails and hit the fifteen, which just missed the pocket.

"That's alright," Jet said, "You just need some practice."

After playing pool, Jet and Misty left the bowling alley. As they walked down the street, Jet couldn't help but look in wonder at the beauty that was Cerulean City, "I could really get use to this place," he said, "They got nothing like this in my home town."

"What was it like," asked Misty, "where you grew up?"

Jet thought about it and said, "It was ok, I guess. I grew up ten minutes from the beach, so the summer time was great. I'd head down there every day with Brian. But it was a small town, and there was really nothing to do. Not like this place though," Jet said as he admired all of the buildings and shops, "You don't know how good you have it."

Misty giggled. Jet asked, "What's so funny?"

Misty shook her head, "Nothing. Come on, there is a park not that far from here. I want you to see it."

Jet followed Misty as she led him to the park. They passed by two men who walked out of a deli. One of them, who wore a neck brace and bandages on his head, stopped the other as Jet and Misty walked by. He pointed at Jet and told his friend, "That's the guy!"

His friend frowned and said, "What guy, Ernie? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You remember I told you 'bout that job we were pulling in Mt. Moon for the organization? Remember I told you some kids ended up killing everyone with their Pokémon and then made the dynamite blow up?"

Ernie's friend's eyebrows raised and he said, "That's him?"

"Yeah, I know it's him, Lars! I'd recognize that face anywhere! And that's his red headed bitch, too!"

Ernie pulled a revolver from his waist, "I'm gonna fucking kill him for what he did! My Sandslash is dead now! All those people I was working with, I have no idea what happened to them, but I heard they dead too!"

"God damn it Ern!" said Lars in a low, urgent voice, "Put that fucking gun away! This is a crowded street! You want to kill him, challenge him to a Pokémon battle! Make it look like an accident!"

"This ain't no time for a battle!" said Ernie in a loud voice, "I want that fucker dead!"

"Then use your head you idiot!" Lars spat, "What happens when you shoot them and someone comes over to check out the commotion?"

"Then I shoot them too!" said Ernie, stubbornly.

"You fucking dumb ass, Ernie!" Lars said urgently, "Didn't you get a Drowzee last week from the Organization? Use it to put them to sleep, and _then_ take them somewhere where no one will hear the gunshots!"

Ernie's eyes widened, "You're right! C'mon, we have to catch up to them!"

Jet and Misty walked down a park walkway hand in hand. Jet said, "So, were you serious about that whole skinny dipping thing?"

Misty stopped walking and smirked, "I thought you were going to miss that shot!"

Jet stepped a little closer and smirked as well, "Yeah, well, I didn't. And that means a certain someone owes me-"

"Oh no," Misty said, "That doesn't count!"

"Well I won the bet," Jet stepped a little closer, (He was now only a few inches from Misty's face), "I think I'm entitled to some kind of compensation!"

Misty giggled, "Well, what did you have in mind?"

As an answer, Jet placed his hands on Misty's waist and leaned in for a kiss. Misty met him half way and they locked lips. It was a much softer kiss than he usually had with Natalie, with much less tongue. It was less _sexual_ and more _sensual_ then Jet was used to. He enjoyed every second of it.

"I hope we're not interrupting."

Both Jet and Misty jumped in surprise as two men, (one tall and heavily built, the other short with a neck brace), stood before them. The short one pointed to Jet and said, "You and me are going to have ourselves a little battle!"

"Who the hell are you?" Misty asked.

"Shut up slut!" said the tall one, "This is between them!"

Jet stepped forward angrily, "Watch your fucking mouth or we won't need Pokémon, I'll lay your ass out right now!"

The two men laughed. The tall one said, "He sure got guts, don't he Ern?"

"Yeah, he does," Ernie laughed, "now let's cut him open and see what they look like! Go, Drowzee!"

The hypnosis Pokémon was sent forth to do battle. Jet pulled a pokeball from his belt and said to Misty, "This will be quick, don't worry! Go, Spark!"

Jet's Pikachu was sent out to battle the new foe. Ernie quickly yelled, "Use hypnosis, Drowzee!" As Jet told Pikachu, "Use Thunderbolt!"

It wasn't even a contest. Pikachu's Thunderbolt knocked out the Drowzee instantly. As soon as Drowzee fell over, defeated, Ernie let out a howl of furry and pulled a revolver from his waist band. Then, several things happened very quickly. Pikachu, sensing danger, used Thunderbolt on the two humans in front of him. Ernie, right as Pikachu's attack hit, fired his gun. Jet got out Pikachu's pokeball and recalled him. Unfortunately, he was not able to do so before Pikachu was shot with Ernie's revolver.

**Author's Notes:**

**Eighty reviews, thank you so much for the support! Next chapter will be posted soon, I'm probably going to post it before Monday.**

**Jet's Pikachu – Lvl. 30**

**Ernie's Drowzee – Lvl. 19**

**Spark is shot, and two thugs have it in for Jet! Will Spark survive the gunshot? Find out in the next chapter. And keep the reviews coming!**


	39. Broken

Broken

Jet immediately shrank the pokeball to avoid causing Pikachu anymore damage. His heart began to race as he saw Pikachu's blood sprayed on the street. He turned to Misty, his face white, "We got to get my Pikachu to the Center! Let's go!"

Misty, however, asked, "What about them?" she pointed at the two thugs, lying motionless on the ground. Jet bent over and checked the pulse on one of them; nothing. He checked the other. His heart raced harder as he realized neither of them had a pulse. Jet turned to Misty and shook his head. She covered her mouth tearfully. Looked over and saw one of them dropped a sports bag before getting shocked. Jet picked it up. It was heavy, really heavy. Dreading what might be in there he opened it. Misty asked shrilly, "What are you doing?"

There were three shotguns in the bag as well as two paper bags. Jet opened them and saw one had a large roll of hundred dollar bills. He handed it to Misty, "Look what's in the bag."

Misty looked inside the bag and said, "Oh my god! Shotguns? Money? Are they in the mob?"

Jet opened the second paper bag. There was a CD case. Jet opened the case and found a bunch of TM's. He said out loud, "Misty, we have to get out of here. If anyone finds us here we're in big trouble."

Misty bit her lip, "What about the money?"

Jet put the TM case back in the paper bag and said, "Take the money with you, let's just get out of here! I need to get to the Pokémon Center!"

And so they ran; with both the money and the TM's. Once back on the street, they decided to walk to the car to avoid suspicion. Once they got to the car, Misty took off immediately. It was another five minutes before either of them spoke, "They attacked _us, _right?" Misty asked desperately, "It was just self-defense!"

"Exactly," Jet said, "And because they could have connections with the mob, we can't call the cops, cause-"

"Then they'd know we were involved!" Misty finished his sentence, "And taking the money-"

"If we didn't take it, then it would just sit in an evidence room, right?" Jet asked, "I'm not worried about them right now, I just need to make sure my Pikachu is alright."

"Oh fuck!" squealed Misty, "If the cops test the blood from the crime scene then they'll know to look out for a Pikachu with a bullet wound in the Pokémon Center!"

Jet bit his lip, and then he got out his phone, "Let me make a call, real quick."

**XXX**

Gary pulled up to a brick building with no windows. He parked the car and said, "This is the place, I read about it online. It's kind of like the Battle Club in Cerulean Cape except they only do one on one cage matches here."

Brian grinned, "Shame your sister stayed at the Center, I'd like to see her Ivysaur in action at a cage match!"

Gary opened his door and said, "Let's make some money."

The boys headed to the entrance of the building. There was a large, two hundred pound bald guy at the door who asked, "Can I see your ID's please?" Both boys flashed their licenses and the man opened the door, "It's ten to get in, fifty to enter a Pokémon into the cage. Welcome to Faust, gentlemen."

Once inside, both Brian and Gary registered to battle in upcoming matches. The guy at the front desk said, "Ok. When the announcer calls your name, you get in there with your Pokémon and fight. No killing, and no attacks that endanger the audience, got it?"

Both Brian and Gary nodded and the guy said, "Ok then. Go head through the doors and wait for your name to be called. Good luck on your matches!"

The boys headed through a set of double doors and found themselves in a huge room. There were about twenty five trainers standing around the ring, cheering on who they wanted to win. The ring itself was about the size of a regular boxing ring, but with a cage around it to prevent the Pokémon inside from escaping. In the cage were the editor, the two trainers, and a Geodude fighting a Raticate.

There was a DJ both right next to the door and speakers in every corner. While the Pokémon were fighting, Papa Roaches' _Last Resort_ was playing over speakers. Brian yelled over the music, "This place is Awesome!" Gary grinned and bumped his head to the music, "I'm ready to murder shit!"

**XXX**

Misty pulled up in front of Bill's lighthouse, "You're lucky he's still in Cerulean!"

"He's not leaving until the twenty first," Jet said breathlessly, "Let's go!" Jet went up to the door and knocked. Almost immediately, Bill came to the door and said, "The doctor is in the parlor, follow me."

Jet and Misty immediately followed Bill's lead through the halls of the light house. Jet asked, "Is this guy licensed?"

Bill said, "Yeah mate, he's a registered surgeon. He mostly works on humans, but he does Pokémon sometimes too. Anyway, a bullet wound is a bullet wound. This guy will get it out for you."

Jet hoped Bill was right, "Thank you Bill, you didn't have to do this."

"Think nothing of it, what are friends for? I caught a Magikarp today, by the way! I was trying to get him to swim like you told me to, but the damn thing is thick as steel. It showed no progress whatsoever, so I'm gonna have it train with some of my water Pokémon."

"That's great, Bill," said Jet, even though he felt nothing but fearful inside, "Really great."

They walked into the parlor, which was lavishly decorated. There was a small metal table set up in the corner with the doctor standing next to it, already prepped for surgery. His 'assistants,' were an Aipom and a Hypno, "Put the little guy on the table," said the doctor, "let's see if we can pull out that slug."

**XXX**

Back in Vermillion, Brian and Gary cheered as a Machop took on a Beedrill. The Machop was quick and hit hard, but the Beedrill could better maneuver from the air. This match was going to be close.

"Ouch, it looks like that poison is finally getting to Machop!" Brian exclaimed. Machop's trainer seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because he withdrew his Pokémon, forfeiting the match. The DJ got on the mic and said, "Alright, alright, alright! Beedrill wins this round, and the next fight is about to start! Let me get Gary Oak, and Brian Chang into the cage please! Oak and Chang into the cage!"

Brian looked at Gary and grinned, "Looks like me and you finally get to battle!" Gary laughed, "I don't know why you're laughing, I'm about to take you down!"

Both boys were led into the cage by the editor. He told them, "You know the rules; no killing, and no hurting the spectators! I want a nice clean battle, got it?"

Both boys nodded, their excitement mounting. The editor said, "Both trainers send out their Pokémon!"

Brian went first, "Go, Heracross!"

His blue beetle went into battle with a large applause; Heracross weren't easy to find. Gary went next, "Go, Sudowoodo!" His Pokémon definitely had the advantage over Heracross. The editor said, "Both trainers ready? Then, Begin!"

"Sudowoodo, use Smack Down!"

"Heracross, use Brick Break!"

Heracross hit first. He jumped in the air and came down with a hard elbow. The fighting type attack was super effective against Sudowoodo's rock type. Unfortunately for Heracross, Sudowoodo was able to roll with the blow and counter with Smack Down. Both Pokémon were hit with type effective attacks, and both Pokémon were dazed when they stood back up.

**XXX**

At the lighthouse, Misty and Bill discussed what happened at the park while Jet sat silently in his seat. He was not allowed in the parlor during the operation, so they all waited in the sitting room. In the corner of her eye, Misty saw the park they were attacked in on the tv and said, "Turn it up!"

"Officials aren't sure of the cause of death for the two victims, but they were identified as members of Team Rocket; A cell in the international Pokémon trafficking syndicate, known only as the Organization, responsible for over ninety percent of Pokémon related crime worldwide."

A cop was shown on screen and said, "Team Rocket is a dangerous group. They are the primary operating cell from the Organization in the Kanto and Johto regions."

The camera flashed back to the news castor, "What provoked the attack on these to gang members is unclear. Investigators are speculating that the deaths may have been related to a Pokémon battle, as an unconscious Drowzee was found at the scene."

"I thought they were with the organization!" exclaimed Misty, "that explains the TM's they had!"

"It's a good thing you guys got out of there while you could," said Bill, "you do not want to get caught in Team Rocket's cross hairs."

Jet didn't say anything. He already had his suspicions where they were from, but that didn't matter. The only thing that did matter, was that Spark would be ok, _Please let him be ok! This is all my fault! I didn't recall him in time!_

**XXX**

Heracross was climbing the ceiling of the cage in an effort to avoid anymore of Sudowoodo's attacks. Both Pokémon had been hit with several Brick Breaks/Smack Downs. One more hit from either party may well result in a knockout.

Brian yelled, "Ok, Heracross, drop down and use Brick Break!"

"Sudowoodo, Endure and use Smack Down!"

Sudowoodo braced himself. Heracross dropped from the ceiling and put all of his weight into this last attack. Sudowoodo's endure allowed him to keep himself conscious after taking the hit, just long enough to deliver a devastating Smack Down.

"Heracross is unable to battle; Sudowoodo is the winner!"

The crowd cheered and both trainers recalled their Pokémon. Because Gary was the winner, he would gain the hundred bucks that was given to the victor. Brian sighed, "Ah well. Can't win them all."

**XXX**

The doctor walked into the sitting room. Jet felt his insides go numb, until the doctor said, "He'll live, but you have to get him to a Pokémon Center right away."

Jet stood up and asked, "Can I see him?"

Jet, Misty, Bill, and the doctor all went to the Parlor where Pikachu was currently laying, asleep. He had bandages all over. The doctor said, "You are very lucky. The bullet grazed his liver, but I have a special potion that was designed specifically for internal injuries. He won't be able to fight again for a while; perhaps never again."

Jet felt his heart break. This was nothing like when Natalie slept with Brock; this was real heart break. He couldn't breathe, speak, or think, he could only feel pain for his fallen Pokémon. Jet walked over to Pikachu and felt a tear run down his face. "I'm going to stay by your side, until you get better! And then, when you walk again, I'll send you to my family! They'll look after you, until you can make a full recovery, buddy!"

He bent down and kissed Pikachu on the fore head only to receive an electric shock. He let out a little laugh, and felt the pain ease. The doctor turned to Bill and asked, "So when you get the new litter of Eevee…"

"I will send one straight to you, mate!"

The doctor smiled, "My little Stacy would love that! Little ungrateful diva though she is."

Jet turned to the doctor and said, "Thank you, for everything. You too, Bill. I owe you one."

Bill shook his head and said, "Just come to the party, mate. There are a lot of people I want you to meet."

Misty walked over to Jet and put her hand in his and asked, "You almost ready to go, sweetie? I need some rest after tonight."

Jet turned to Misty and kissed her on the cheek, "Yeah, just hold on a sec."

He took out Pikachu's Pokeball and recalled him. _You may be broken, but I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get fixed._

**Author's Notes:**

**A little short, but at least it was a fast update. Let me know what you think, and stay tuned for more!**


	40. SS Anne

SS Anne

Jet sat on his bed and laid back. The past few days have been exhausting. Spark had been taken to the Pokémon Center infirmary to recover. Although the worst of his wound was healed, the nurses told Jet Spark would need a few days rest before he'd be able to do any type of labor. It would be another two weeks before he could train again.

Jet made sure to visit Spark as often as possible, sometimes bringing the Pokémon's favorite fruits to eat while he rested. "You'll be better in no time, Spark!" Jet had informed his electric mouse, "We just have to avoid letting you battle or train for a while."

Jet hadn't found it in him to train his other Pokémon while Spark was hurt. He even deposited his Weepinbell and his Pidgeotto to make room for new possible team members for when he headed to Vermillion. While on his bed in the Pokémon Center, Jet contemplated not even going on the cruise ship. Having one of his Pokémon get shot during what he thought was a routine battle was definitely taking a toll on him. Jet didn't want to do anything; he didn't eat, didn't train, didn't go out, nothing. It took every fiber of his being just to muster the energy to go wash up. _Is this what depression feels like?_ He asked himself.

There was a knock on the door. Jet knew who it was already; Misty had texted him to say she was coming over. He opened the door and Misty greeted him with a hug, "How have you been? You don't call me anymore."

Jet let her in and said, "Yeah, I'm sorry. I've just been- distracted."

Misty sat on Jet's bed and said, "I can see how wallowing in this room while staring at the wall of self-pity can really get to you."

Jet didn't answer. Misty held up two paper bags and said, "We never decided how we're going to divide this money up."

Jet sat down in a chair opposite of Misty and asked, "How much is in the bag?"

"About three grand," said Misty, "along with six TM's in the other bag."

"You can have them," Jet said, tiredly, "You can have it all. I don't want any of it. I just want my Pikachu to be ok."

Misty looked at Jet, concerned, "It wasn't your fault. What happened, I mean. Those guys would've attacked us whether you battled them or not."

Jet sighed and sat back, "Yeah, that's what I keep telling myself."

Misty placed her hand on Jet's knee and gave a kind smile, "You need to get out of this room. Don't you have that party in a couple of days to go to?"

Jet shook his head, "I don't feel like going."

Misty raised her eyebrows, "Why not? I'd go if I were you! Hell, I'd take your place if I wasn't so busy. Besides, you owe it to Bill for getting that doctor to heal your Pikachu."

Jet frowned, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Of course you haven't. You need to get up and get to Vermillion. Your friends are waiting for you; don't keep them waiting."

Misty got up and went to walk out. She stopped halfway to the door, however, and turned back to Jet, "I know you said you don't want these TM's, but one of them I already have." Misty handed Jet the TM for Dig, "Next time you are in Cerulean," she added, "Look me up! Maybe we'll have a real date next time." And with that, Misty kissed Jet on the cheek and left him.

**XXX**

Gary and Brian were in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, waiting for Amy to come downstairs. They were all about to get fitted for their tux's for the SS Anne's maiden voyage.

"So, do you know if your friend, Jet, is coming or what?"

Brian shook his head, "I honestly don't know, dude. He hasn't said anything about that, only that his Pokémon was injured. If he doesn't show, what are you going to do with the plus one on his ticket?"

Gary looked over at the reception desk and said, "Ask out that chick right over there!" He waved at the attractive girl behind the desk who smiled and waved back.

Amy limped over with her crutches, "Jet's coming guys, he said he'll be here in a minute."

Gary frowned as all hope of taking out the cute receptionist seemed to fly out the window, "Oh, how is he getting here?"

Amy sat down in a nearby chair and said, "Hell if I know. He's really cutting the clock though, the party starts tomorrow and we still didn't get our new clothes."

"His Pikachu was shot, Amy!" defended Brian, "Cut the guy some slack."

"Yeah, you're right," Amy frowned, "I always liked that Pikachu. It really was an excellent electric type."

Gary looked at the clock on his cell, "If he's not here in ten minutes, I say we have him meet us at the tailor's."

Five minutes later, Jet walked through the doors of the lobby. He walked up and said, "Hey guys, sorry I haven't been in touch much. Long week."

Brian asked, "How's Spark? Is he ok?"

"Yeah," Jet said half-heartedly, "I sent him to my mom's for a bit while he recovers. I tasked him with training my Cleffa and Igglybuff to fight; that should keep him busy."

Gary raised his eyebrows, "You have a Cleffa and an Igglybuff?"

Amy, however, asked, "How are _you_ holding up?"

Jet smiled at her, "I'm a lot better now; thanks for asking."

The group left the Pokémon Center to head to the tailor's. In the parking lot, Brian, Amy, and Gary solved the mystery as to how Jet got to Vermillion so quickly.

"You bought a bike?" asked Brian incredulously, as he eyed Jet's black and red motorcycle.

"Cost a little less than ten grand. I'm pretty much broke now; I got only twenty-five hundred to my name." said Jet, "It's a pretty good bike though. Rides smooth, good breaks, moves quick when I need it to."

"Of course it does," said Gary, "It's a Fireblade. They're pretty good sports bikes. I was going to get one last year, but bought a Harley instead."

"The one you crashed?" asked Amy.

"I didn't crash it, my ex did!" Gary retorted, defensively. Amy giggled and Jet asked, "How about I just leave this parked and roll with you guys? I've been sitting on this thing all morning anyway."

And so, they all got into Gary's Corvette and headed off. Brian and Jet were in the back seat, where Brian was telling Jet about the local battle club called, Faust.

"Faust huh? Why do they call it that?"

"It means fist in German," said Gary, "There are mostly one on ones down there, and the prize money is one hundred per battle."

"But get this," said Brian, "It's ten to get in, fifty to sign up for a battle, and one hundred to win. By the time you win a battle there-"

"Yeah but you can do more than one battle once inside," argued Gary, "once you get in, it's easy money."

"But is it really worth the wait for the next chance to battle?" asked Brian, "You can make a lot more money in one good high stakes battle at a Gym. They usually bet more money at Gyms. And for the price of the entrance fee, you could buy a Gym membership!"

Amy said, "He's got you there, Gary. Gyms have equipment for training Pokémon and move tutors and everything."

"Yeah," said Jet, "I don't really see myself battling it out at that place while I'm down here. By the way, what's the game plan?"

Amy asked from the front seat, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Jet continued, "where do we go after this little cruise? Do you guys want to stay in the islands? Go back to Kanto? The Johto?"

Gary said, "I was going to go back to the Kanto, but now I'm thinking of heading home with Amy. We talked about it a few days ago."

Amy said, "We haven't really decided anything, yet!"

Jet asked Brian, "How about you?"

Brian shrugged, "I'm going to the islands for a while and staying there. Catch some new Pokémon, do some training, then maybe head back to the Kanto to collect some more badges."

The SS Anne, according to Bill, was supposed to sail around the world. It was to leave from Kanto to the Sevii Islands, then to the Johto, and then places beyond. Jet, who did not wish to leave the Kanto just yet, said, "I'm thinking of going to the islands for a couple of weeks to train, and then maybe head back to Vermillion for my third badge."

Gary pulled up to the tailor's and said, "Here we are! Let's suit up."

The fitting for the tux's took longer than expected. Once they were done with that they headed back to the Pokémon center so Jet could get a room. While at the Center, Jet withdrew his Geodude from storage and decided to focus on training him and his Abra so they could catch up to Hydra and Thorn. Instead of getting his own room, Jet decided to bunk with Brian to save money.

The next day, they went to pick up their suits from the tailor's. Jet left his bike at the parking lot by the Pokémon Center and they drove down to the pier to get on SS Anne. Amy had gotten a beautiful green dress. The elegance of her attire was dimmed, somewhat, by her crutches, however.

Brian had gotten a regular black and white tux while Jet's tux was all black. Gary, in contrast, wore a white tux with a black shirt and shoes. His suit looked far more expensive than that of Brian and Jet's. All in all, Jet reflected, they looked as though they were headed to prom. Jet had never gone to his prom, as he saw it as a waste of time and money. Sitting in his uncomfortable tux with his uncomfortably tight dress shoes, Jet decided that he did not regret not going.

"These things are killing my feet!"

Amy laughed, "You think you have it bad? Try wearing a two inch heeled shoe on one foot and a cast on the other, then talk to me about uncomfortable!"

Brian asked, "How are you able to wear heels with that cast on? Doesn't it throw off your sense of proportion?"

"That's why I couldn't wear stilettos," said Amy sadly, "I can't wait to get rid of this fucking cast!"

When they finally arrived at the ship, there were dozens of people outside wearing the most flamboyant dress clothes imaginable. There were purples and reds; yellows and greens; scarves, hats and canes, all lining up to get on the ship.

Gary grinned as they got in line, "Now this is my kind of party! Check it out! That's last years' regional champion! Lance Delohov!"

Brian, Amy and Jet all turned their heads to the front of the line. So it was. Lance was the reigning League champion in their region four years running. Most of his Pokémon were either dragon type or dragon like. He was a tall man with spiky red hair. He wore a lavish black tux complete with a cape.

"Dude," said Brian, "What's up with this guy's cape?"

"Rich and famous people can dress however they want," said Amy, "Don't you ever watch the red carpet events during those award shows?"

"Nah, I'm not a chick."

Jet was beginning to feel nervous. There were a lot of big time trainers at this party, and the only Pokémon he had that could compete were his Gyarados and Charmeleon. He heard from Bill that there were going to be a lot of battles on deck, and he did not want to look like some rookie trainer who just started catching Pokémon.

The others didn't seem to share in his fears, and instead pointed out and discussed every famous trainer they saw; "Hey, check it out! That's the guy from that one show!"

"You mean George Kim from Battle Bugs?"

"Yeah, him!"

"Oh my god!" said Amy, "That's Professor Ivy! Her gown looks amazing!"

"Yeah, I'd hit!" said Gary.

They were finally at the front of the line. The usher said, "Ticket's, please?"

The group flashed their tickets. The man smiled, "Welcome to SS Anne! The party is in the ballroom. Just take the corridor to your right straight down and follow the signs!"

When they arrived in the ballroom, Jet's jaw dropped. It was huge. There were lavish decorations everywhere from ice sculptures to Greek nudes. There was a band playing on stage while some guy sung Sinatra's _Summer Wind_. There were people dancing, laughing, drinking; it felt as if Jet just walked into a scene from the beginning of _Titanic_. Amy sighed, "Damn I wish I could dance. Fucking cast."

A server walked up with a tray and asked, "Chardonnay?"

Brian, Gary, and Amy enthusiastically grabbed glasses. Jet however, declined. Brian asked, "Why not have a drink? Loosen up some!"

"Obviously you have never met Jethro, mate." Brian turned around to see Bill standing there. He smiled and took a glass as well, "Glad you lot could make it. There are some people I want to introduce you to. Follow me."

And so, they followed Bill over to a group of people. He said, "Ah, this is the young trainer I was telling you about, the one with the Gyarados. Jethro Brown, Lance Delohov. Lance, meet Jethro!"

Lance reached out and shook Jet's hand, "It's nice to meet you, I've heard great things from Bill." Jet simply nodded while slightly star struck. Lance didn't smile, but wore a serious demeanor that made him slightly intimidating, "I own a few Gyarados myself, of course, but I have never actually evolved one from a Magikarp before, truly impressive."

"I was just in discussion with Lance here about his Gyarados. Seems he has your attitude. He won't sell or trade me!" exclaimed Bill.

Lance drew himself up to full height and exclaimed proudly, "A true Pokémon Master never trades off his Pokémon like simple slaves."

"Oh Lance," said a woman to his left, "stop being so brooding all the time!"

Bill introduced the lady who spoke, "This is Shawna Guppy, the winner of last year's Goldenrod Super Contest!" Shawna held out her hand in a gesture that suggested she expected Jet to kiss it. He did so and she said, "Charmed I'm sure."

Bill continued to introduce Jet to more of these high society type trainers, and Jet introduced his friends as well. Most of them seemed very enthusiastic to meet Gary and Amy, who were both grandchildren of Professor Oak himself.

"I've met him once," said an apparently wealthy breeder of rare Pokémon, "very wise fellow. Come, let us get a table!" And so all fourteen of them sat at a large table and talked extensively on subjects relating to their own personal area of Pokémon expertise. Many of them were interested to hear how Jet was able to evolve his Magikarp.

"Your boy here is very knowledgeable, Bill. Never met a boy his age who knew so much about raising Pokémon!"

For about an hour Jet listened to them exchange stories about Pokémon they've raised, or debate the finer points of breeding. "Now see here! Your Eevee may be popular in today's market because of its evolutionary capabilities, but my Snubbull would win best in show over any one of your pups any day of the week!"

Jet was impressed with their knowledge of the ins and outs of the Pokémon breeding business, but found most of them to be pompous and snobbish. After their dinner was over, one woman insisted Jet dance with her as the band played _My Girl_ by the Temptations. Amy had tried her hand at dancing with Brian, albeit awkwardly due to her cast.

Bill once again pulled Jet away after the song. He said, "Your friend Gary has a bit of reefer on him. Me, him, and these lovely ladies here were going to the deck for a little smoke, would you like to join us?"

Jet looked over at Brian and Amy, who were now slow dancing and didn't seem as though they would mind if he left them alone. "Yeah, I'll head out with you guys." Jet followed Bill, Gary, and four girls they just met up to the deck.

Brian grinned to himself as he danced with Amy. To him she smelled amazing, and it seemed almost unreal that they were dancing together to Nat King Cole's _L.O.V.E._

His heart began to beat fast as he contemplated kissing her. The moment seemed perfect, so he figured, _To hell with it!_ He turned his face so he was looking Amy in the eye and leaned in for a kiss. Amy, however, turned away and said, "Umm, sorry I just-"

Brian was horrified, "Oh shit, my bad! I just misread the situation and i…" He sighed, "You don't like me do you?"

Amy bit her lip and said, "Maybe you and I should sit back down and talk."

On the deck, Jet coughed as he blew out the smoke. Gary laughed and smacked him on the back; hard. "Let it out man, you feeling it yet?"

Jet shook his head, "No, I don't feel a thing."

The blonde to his left said, "You have to _inhale_, or else it doesn't work."

"I am inhaling!" said Jet defensively, "Maybe this is just a bad batch!"

Everyone started laughing. Bill said through glossy red eyes, "This is good, trust me. You just aren't _inhaling!_"

"How are you going to tell me if I'm inhaling or not? I felt my throat burn from the smoke!"

"You got to feel it in your lungs, man!" said a psychedelic Gary, "_in your lungs!"_

The blonde started giggling. Jet asked, "What's so funny?"

She started laughing harder and said, "I don't know!"

Jet sighed and thought to himself, _What am I doing?_ "Oh look." One of the girls pointed at a battle that was happening elsewhere on deck and said, "This is where their holding the Pokémon Battles, later?"

Bill took a puff and said with his breath held, "I think so." And then he exhaled. A brunette girl rubbed Bill's chest and said, "I want to see you battle, sweetie!"

Bill shook his head, "In a bit, love. I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment." He then gestured in the direction of Jet and Gary and said, "How about you two? I haven't seen you battle yet."

Gary turned to Jet and said, "That's a great idea, man! We could like, totally have a Pokémon battle right now! How about it? A quick one on one?"

Jet thought about it and said, "Sure, I'll put up two grand. I could use the extra cash."

Gary nodded and said, "That's cool, you just can't use your Gyarados, deal?"

Jet nodded, "Deal."

**Author's Notes:**

**Thanks for the all of the reviews! Over one hundred, I feel so loved! Anyway, Jet and Gary are going to have a little battle; who do you think is going to win? Do you think Amy was mean to Brian? Let me know in a review!**

**And stay tuned for the next chapter, which should be out before the weekend!**


	41. The Uninvited

**Author's Notes:**

**Just giving you an advanced notice, pokeballs are not magnetic. You'll see why I let you know that in this chapter.**

The Uninvited

"Go Gary," cried the blonde chick, "Kick his ass! He's a buzz kill any way!"

Gary grinned as he pulled out his first pokeball, "I've waited a long time to battle you, now here's my chance! Go, Doduo!"

"Ok, my turn! Go, Neo!"

Jet sent out his Abra. He heard one of the girls behind him say, "I kind of thought this battle would have more interesting Pokémon."

Jet gritted his teeth, _Dumb bitch. _"Neo, use Thunder Punch!"

"Jump it and use Pluck, Doduo!"

Doduo went to jump Abra's attack, but the ladder teleported behind his opponent and struck it anyway. Because Abra's attack stat was so dismal, the Thunder Punch didn't do a whole lot of damage. Jet, however, yelled, "Good job, keep it up!"

Abra again used Thunder Punch. Then again. Then again. Doduo had to retreat; what Abra lacked in physical strength, he more than made up for with speed.

"Use Quick Attack, Doduo!"

The two headed bird shot at Abra like a bullet, and knocked him back several meters. He recovered fast however, and was ready when Jet gave his next command, "Use Charge Beam!"

Abra began to glow. Gary quickly yelled, "Dodge the attack and use Pursuit!"

Doduo jumped out of the way of Abra's attack, and then surrounded itself with a dark aura and charged. Jet quickly said, "Teleport, Neo!"

The little psychic Pokémon wasted no time and got out of harms way. Jet let out a sigh of relief and said, "Ok, Neo! Let's try out that Confusion attack!"

Abra used Confusion the way Jet taught him; just like Natalie's Psyduck. While using confusion to attack his opponent's mind, he simultaneously used his telekinesis to slam his foe against the floor. This double attack took a lot of concentration and power, but Abra pulled it off perfectly.

When the attack was finished, Doduo was struggling to get up. Jet said, "Finish him! Use Charge Beam, Neo!"

Neo began to glow and let out an energy beam filled with electricity. It hit the already weakened bird Pokémon point-blank and knocked it out. Jet grinned and said, "That's what I'm talking about! You can't beat my Abra, he's just too good!"

Neo suddenly started glowing again. This time, though, instead of attacking he was evolving. Jet's Abra evolved into a Kadabra at level twenty-two. Bill laughed and said, "Hell of an Abra, that is!"

Gary recalled his Doduo and sent out his next Pokémon, "Go, Umbreon!"

Jet frowned and said, "I thought we were just doing a one on one?"

"Double or nothing, two on two!" Gary called. Jet nodded and said, "Fine. Neo, return! Go Thorn!"

Jet sent out his Charmeleon and started immediately, "Use Fire Fang!"

"Dodge it and use Shadow Ball, Umbreon!"

Umbreon couldn't dodge Charmeleon's attack, however, and received a painful burn on the back of his neck where the fire Pokémon chose to attack. It squealed in pain and Jet said, "Finish it with Ember, Thorn!"

"Umbreon, get out of there!"

But it was finished; Umbreon was unable to battle, and Jet was the winner. Both trainers recalled their Pokémon, and Gary paid Jet four grand. He told Jet, "Those Pokémon of yours are a lot tougher then they look! No wonder you won the Cascade Badge."

Jet smiled, "Thanks, for the battle. We should do it again sometime."

One of Bill's girls, (a light skinned black girl), walked up to Jet and said, "You're not half bad! Maybe you could battle me next?"

Jet, however, spotted Brian over the girl's shoulder leaning on a rail. "Maybe in a little bit. Excuse me."

Jet went over to Brian, who was looking thoroughly depressed. Jet knew that look; he had seen it once before at a company picnic by the beach. "I'm guessing things didn't go so well with Amy?"

Brian didn't look up at the sound of Jet's voice, "'I like you, but not in that way' she says. 'Why can't we just be friends?'" Brian took another sip of his drink, "Why the hell did she even agree to go out with me if she didn't like me? 'Oh, I thought you meant just as friends!' Fucking bull shit!"

Behind them, a crowd started to gather as a Pokémon battle was starting between what looked like Lance and another trainer. Brian ignored the crowd and continued, "I know what it is, too!" he took another sip, "I asked her… I asked her how she felt about you."

Brian turned to face Jet. He looked both very angry, and slightly inebriated, "Don't give me that look!"

"Me?" asked Jet, "There is nothing going on between me and Amy!"

A Typhlosion roared in the background as Brian laughed, "She said the exact same thing! Bunch of fucking liars! I know you two kissed that one day; neither of you bothered to mention it, of course!"

"That's because it wasn't really worth mentioning!"

"Not worth mentioning?" Brian yelled incredulously, "I tell you _everything!_ From kisses to handy's, and I get _squat_? You didn't tell me because you knew I liked her! Admit it!"

Jet hesitated, "I didn't want to upset you."

There was a loud BANG in the background as Brian said, "Well how's that working out for you? Stop looking guilty! Perfect fucking Jethro Brown! Always _so fucking good _at everything you do! He never loses! He gets every girl! He can take down guys twice his size! He's so fucking smart! And he's handsome to boot!"

"Brian!" Jet yelled over him, "Where's all of this coming from, man?"

"Do you have any idea what it's like always living in your shadow?" Brian asked, "Amy likes you, not me! You're the professor's favorite; everyone knows it! Hell, my own _Wartortle_ likes you more than he likes me!"

"I think you had enough to drink," said Jet reaching for Brian's glass, "you don't know what you're saying."

Brian took a step back from Jet and said in a cold voice, "Don't kid yourself. I know _exactly _what I'm saying! I've waited years to say this shit! You know what you are? You're a Mary Sue!"

Jet cocked an eyebrow, "What the fuck is a Mary Sue?"

Brian finished the rest of his drink and threw his glass overboard, "I need another drink, move!"

He pushed past Jet just as a distant voice announced, "And the winner is- Lance Delohov!"

There was an applause as Jet felt his heart rate rise. _What the fuck just happened?_ Jet and Brian had never fought before. They had their disagreements, sure, but they always settled things in a civil manner. Did Brian really want Amy that much? Was this even about Amy anymore?

Jet looked over and saw Amy venting something to her brother, visibly upset. Had Brian yelled at her too? How long has he been harboring these feelings? What the fuck was a Mary Sue?

Jet then heard what sounded like a gunshot followed by screams. He then heard a voice yell, "If any one of you fucks sends out a Pokémon, we'll start shooting! I want everyone on the ground, NOW!"

Jet felt his heart beat faster as a large group men carrying shotguns started ordering people on the ground. Jet knew better than to send his Pokémon out, especially after what happened to his Pikachu.

He slowly got on the ground and watched as everyone else did the same. The men with guns all wore plain black suits and had ear pieces to communicate with each other. They began to move people from below deck up with everyone else and put them on the ground. This took about twenty minutes in which Jet weighed his options.

_I can't attack, they'd hurt me and my Pokémon! I could try and jump overboard, and escape on Hydra. But then my friends would still be in danger, and I can't just leave them here!_

One of the men in black, the one apparently in charge, yelled, "Ok, listen up! We don't want to kill anyone tonight, so as long as you don't fucking try and run on us, or do anything heroic, we'll all get along just fine! We have complete control of the ship!

"Now, my associates are going to walk around with some bags. Kindly put your wallets, cell phones, jewelry, and any pokeballs you may have into the bag. If all goes well, we will be out of here within the hour, and nobody has to die today!"

Jet's heart beat even faster, _They are taking Pokémon too! I can't let them get my Pokémon, I have to go overboard! If only there was a way to get my friends too! Maybe I could send Neo back to teleport them out of harm's way one by one?_

The men began walking around and taking valuables. Jet felt his heart beat even faster as he began to form a plan in his head. _I have to escape on Hydra, then I send Neo back to get a life boat. After that he can teleport my friends onto the boat. Shit, but I'll be putting Neo in harm's way!_

"Magnezone! Use your Magnetic Pull!"

Jet looked up and saw what looked like the Captain of the ship, on a platform above the deck, giving an order to his Pokémon. The captures all pointed their weapons in the direction of the newcomer, but then their weapons, (along with all other metallic objects), suddenly started flying in the direction of Magnezone.

All of the assailants were now disarmed. The captain told his Pokémon, "Good job, now send their weapons overboard!" Magnezone floated over the edge of the boat, and dropped all of the metal objects into the water below. The Captain said, "Now attack with Thundershock!"

One of the men in black sent out his Pokémon, "Go, Graveler!"

Suddenly it was chaos. Once the guests at the party realized the guns were gone, they all sent out their Pokémon to do battle with the men in black. The assailants, for their part, sent forth their Pokémon to attack as well. Jet suddenly realized, _They must me members of Team Rocket! That's why they all have Pokémon!_

There were loud bangs and screams everywhere as the deck quickly turned into a battlefield. People were having trouble discerning who was the enemy. People were getting caught in the cross fire of attacks. Jet had only one thing on his mind, _I have to get my friends and get out of here!_

This task was made difficult, however, as everyone who didn't have a Pokémon or wasn't in the battle were bum rushing the doors to get below deck. People were being trampled. People were getting caught by stray attacks. Jet walked away from the crowd and felt himself shaking, _How the hell am I supposed to find Amy and Brian in this?_

Jet was suddenly buffeted with a gust of wind as Bill's Skarmory flew past and attacked a nearby Fearow. A loud BANG suddenly made his ears ring as Lance's Dragonite attacked a Magmar not to far from where Jet was standing. There was another loud BANG and Jet covered his ears. Smoke began to cover the battle field and Jet couldn't see. The floor began to shake and there was another loud BANG.

Someone knocked into Jet as they were rushing past. He fell to the ground with his ears ringing. He felt a burst of heat fly past overhead and heard a low roar over the ringing of his ears. Suddenly, a strong arm grabbed Jet and pulled him up. Jet looked up and saw Lance yelling at him with blood dripping down his face. Jet couldn't hear what was being said, but Lance was pointing at a big hole in the floor and yelling at Jet.

The volume of his voice was starting to get through, "Get off the deck! It's too dangerous!"

Jet nodded and there was another loud BANG as Dragonite was knocked out of the air by a Steelix. Dragonite fell to the floor, but recovered quickly and shot a Flame Burst at its foe. Jet covered his ears as yet another explosion echoed into the night. Lance left Jet and ran over to assist his Dragonite's efforts.

The Ship suddenly lurched and Jet fell forward. A tidal wave hit the deck as a result of someone's Surf attack. Many people got wet and many people fell overboard. Jet fell and hit a rail in the middle of the deck, hard. He felt the wind knock out of him and heard another loud explosion. More smoke covered the battlefield and Jet began to choke.

_Where the fuck are my friends?_

Jet got up and headed in the direction of the doors. The line had died down some as more people went below deck, but the exit was still blocked. The only means of escape now were to go overboard. Jet looked over at the huge hole in the floor and wondered where it led. The ship lurched again; this time to the starboard side. Jet grabbed onto the rail next to him to avoid falling over. He watched in horror as next to him Lance's Dragonite was being attacked my multiple enemies at the same time. Jet had heard Lance say earlier during dinner that the only Pokémon he brought on the cruise was his Dragonite. Deciding he would be overwhelmed my six opponents, Jet reached for his Net Ball, "Go, Hydra!"

Jet's Gyarados roared as she was sent into battle. Jet yelled, "Hydra, take out that Rhyperior with Waterfall! Go Thorn! Use Flame Burst on Steelix!"

Jet's Pokémon attacked with a powerful ferocity. He had to cover his ears as his own Pokémon added their explosions into the fray. Lance looked over at Jet with surprise. Then he nodded at him and told his Dragonite, "Use Thunder on that Crobat!"

"Hydra, use Water Pulse! Thorn, Attack with Dragon Rage!"

Dragonite, Charmeleon, and Gyarados all finished their opponents with their attacks. Now the match was a triple battle between Lance and Jet's Pokémon, and a Staraptor, a Magmar, and a Snorlax. All six Pokémon faced each other with a sort of bloody anticipation. Before anyone could attack, however, there was a huge explosion that sounded as though it came from the middle of the ship. The ground began to shake violently. Jet suddenly heard over the ship's intercom, "_Everyone get to the back of the ship! The SS Anne is sinking! I repeat, the SS Anne is sinking!_

**Author's Notes:**

**Looks like Team Rocket crashed the party, literally! Will Amy, Gary, and Brian be able to escape? Will Jet be able to win against his powerful new opponents? Stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**And as always, Please Review!**


	42. Dragon Rage

**Author's Notes:**

**A Mary Sue is a character that is either good at everything or tragically misunderstood to the point of being unrelatable. The term was first coined for a character named Mary Sue in a Star Trek fan fic. It has since became extremely popular and usually used to refer to fan fic characters, (although it could be used to refer to an actual fictional character, such as Superman). Common characteristics of a Mary Sue include being good at just about everything, having a skill that your character is better at than everyone else without much training, gaining great amounts of admiration or jealousy from other characters, being unrealistically attractive or "cool", or basically just being a vision of what the author imagines themselves as or would like to be.**

**Jet could be considered a Mary Sue because of his prodigal skill for training Pokémon. He's not based off of me, though. The Pokémon he trains and the strategies he uses are ones that I myself would use in his place. His look and skill for Pokémon training I based off an eighteen year old version of Red. The rest of his personality just kind of made itself up. I don't like the name Red, though, so I got his name from the leader of the freedom fighters in Avatar the Last Airbender.**

**Brian's look was based off of an older version of Cheren, and Amy I imagine looks something like Kairi from Kingdom Hearts. Their personalities just fleshed themselves out as well. Natalie was an original creation, from her looks to her personality. I'm not sure why I added this in the author's notes, but it's probably interesting to know, anyway. **

**P.S.**

**Bianca is gay.**

Dragon Rage

Snorlax sent a Hyper Beam at Gyarados, who immediately moved out of the way of the attack. Dragonite flew into the air after Staraptor, who attempted to escape the dragon's wrath. Magmar charged at Charmeleon, who in turn charged at his foe. Both fire Pokémon collided, and tried to gain dominance over each other by grappling.

Jet yelled to Hydra, "When Snorlax is recharging, hit him with your Dragon Rage!"

Hydra didn't hear Jet, and instead used Water Pulse during Snorlax's recharge phase. She hit twice, and then went in for a Crunch. Snorlax must have fallen asleep to heal, however, because he let out a powerful Snore that knocked everyone back several feet; and stopped Hydra's attack in its tracks.

Magmar charged at Thorn again. Although the Charmeleon was much faster than his opponent; the ladder was clearly at a much higher level. Thorn was put on the defensive for the first time in his life. Meanwhile, up above, Dragonite was doing battle with several flying type Pokémon at once. Knowing there was no help for either of his Pokémon, Jet yelled to Thorn, "Knock him back with Dragon Rage!"

Thorn opened his maw to attack, but the seconds hesitation in his defense allowed Magmar the opportunity he needed to land a heavy Mega Punch that knocked Jet's Charmeleon back about two meters. Magmar then charged at Thorn to use Take Down, but Thorn dodged the attack at the last second and was once again put on the defensive. Both Pokémon were suddenly knocked back as Snorlax let out another powerful Snore.

Hydra couldn't get in close enough for a physical attack on Snorlax because of his Snore attack, and Snorlax would simply heal itself with Rest anytime it was attacked with a projectile. Meanwhile Thorn couldn't switch to an offensive stance because his opponent was too strong. Things were not looking good for Jet's Pokémon.

**XXX**

Gary carried Amy through the doors of the ballroom, panting. "You have to get on my back!" he told his little sister, "We're only half way to the back of the ship!"

Amy nodded and prepared herself to get on Gary's back. "Amy! Gary! There you guys are! Where's Jet?"

Brian ran up, sweating and panting profusely. Gary immediately yelled angrily, "How dare you fucking talk to my sister after what you said to her tonight!"

Brian looked both alarmed and ashamed. He opened his mouth but Amy spoke first, "God damn it, none of that matters now! We have to get to the life boats on the back of the ship! C'mon, help me up!"

Deciding it best to argue after they were safe, Gary helped his sister onto his back and told Brian, "Let's go!"

They started for the doors to the next corridor, following the crowd to the poop deck. Amy asked Brian, "You haven't seen Jet at all?"

Brian nervously said, "Not since before the robbery!"

Amy groaned. Gary panted, "Shit, I hope he's ok! I haven't seen him since before the robbery either!"

"Jet can handle himself!" said Brian, doubtfully, "If there is anyone I know who can get themselves out of a sticky situation, it's Jet. He'll be fine! He has to be."

A large group of people suddenly ran from around the corner, screaming. They headed in the same direction Gary, Brian and Amy were headed. Just what they were running from became apparent when a man dressed in a ruffled black suit came from around the corner with a Houndoom.

The trio stopped dead. Brian got out a Pokeball and sent out Wartortle while simultaneously saying, "Don't you see the water on the floor? The ship is sinking! Can't you give it a rest?"

In response, the Rocket Grunt yelled, "Use Thunder Fang!"

"Jump and use Slam, Wartortle!"

The little water Pokémon jumped the electric attack and slammed Houndoom with his tail. Houndoom shook off Wartortle's attack, and went in for another Thunder Fang. Wartortle was put on the defensive, and Brian yelled, "Take Amy and go! Me and Wartortle will handle this!"

Gary didn't need telling twice. He immediately moved forward to get his little sister out of harm's way. Brian smiled as they left and said, "Let's slow this fucker down! Use Bubble Beam!"

**XXX**

Jet ran past Lance to go around Snorlax's range of fire. The beasts Snore has been knocking everyone about like ragdolls, and the battle with Magmar was not gaining any headway. Jet had to give his Gyarados instructions, but she was on the opposite side of the deck, past Snorlax.

Jet ran around the battlefield, (which was now slanted at a thirty degree angle towards the middle of the ship), weaving around various battles as he did so. At this point it began to rain heavily, and Jet was beginning to feel as though he were at war.

There was a loud BANG as a blast of light flew right past Jet. He didn't stop, however, but kept on running. _I have to get to Hydra!_ A flying Golbat crashed to the ground next to Jet, courtesy of the raging dragon flying above him. The battlefield lit up as a Hyperbeam was shot off above it. Jet ducked his head in panic, but kept running.

A Poliwrath was knocked in Jet's direction. He slid on the ground to avoid the fallen Pokémon's trajectory, but otherwise kept moving. _Just a little further!_ Jet was then knocked off his feet by another thunderous Snore. He felt himself slide a little towards Snorlax, (Who was now resting in the middle of the battle field), due to the slant of the deck. Jet got back up, _Can't stop now!_

**XXX**

"Finish him, Wartortle! Use Bubblebeam!"

Houndoom yelped as he was hit by more foam from his foe, (try saying that last bit ten times fast!). The hell hound was out for the count. Brian then told his Wartortle, "Now take out his trainer with Takedown!"

The Rocket attempted to run, but with no avail. Wartortle took him down and was recalled by Brian, who was now nearly waste deep in water. "Fuck! I got to get out of here before I end up drowning!" Brian moved forward, _God I hope My friends are ok! I can't believe the way I acted tonight._

**XXX**

"Hydra! There you are!" yelled Jet, breathlessly over the pouring rain, "Come here!"

The Gyarados lowered her head to heed her trainer's instructions, "I'm going to need you to take out that Magmar real quick! Then you and Thorn are going to take on the Snorlax together! We don't have much time, though."

Jet climbed on Hydra's back and said, "Let's go, girl!"

Hydra roared and shot around Snorlax in almost a tenth the time it took Jet to run around the deck. They were now in front of Magmar and Thorn, who were still duking it out. Both Pokémon had large bruises everywhere and both looked exhausted. Jet told Hydra, "Tell Thorn to move out the way and then attack with Water Pulse!"

Hydra roared at Thorn, who immediately backed off. She then shot Magmar off the ship with a powerful Water Pulse. Jet got off of Hydra's back and yelled, "Alright! Both of you, attack Snorlax with Dragon Rage when I say go! One, two three, GO!"

They shot Snorlax with a combined Dragon Rage so powerful, it not only woke the sleeping Pokémon, but it lifted it and knocked it back several meters. "Repeat fire!"

Jet's Pokémon immediately fired again. Snorlax was knocked back again and roared. Jet yelled, "Again!" This time, it wasn't just Hydra and Thorn that attacked. Dragonite landed and added his two cents in the mix. Snorlax was hit with a combined Dragon Rage so powerful, it knocked him off the ship. Jet laughed and let out a cry of triumph, but stopped immediately when he saw what was coming next.

Everyone fighting Team Rocket were now either defeated, or had evacuated except for Jet and Lance. So they and their Pokémon were now surrounded by no less than a dozen enemies, (Pokémon alone. Not including their trainers.) The battlefield was now at a forty five degree angle, which would make the match problematic.

"You up for this, kid?" asked Lance. Jet nodded and said, "Yeah, My Pokémon can still fight." One of the Rockets yelled, "Kill them! Kill them all!"

"DON'T YOU ASSWIPES KNOW THAT THE FUCKING SHIP IS SINKING?"

**XXX**

Gary held his little sister as they sat in a life boat with about twelve others. They watched the ship's progress as the back became more and more submerged. There was no way to tell if their friends were ok, but they could see people still battling on the ship. Although Amy couldn't make out exactly which Pokémon were battling, She could see explosions and bright lights, as well as hear big bangs and loud roars.

Gary pointed to the sky as a Fearow flew towards the boats carrying someone on its back. That someone was soon revealed to be Brian. He dismounted his bird Pokémon on Amy and Gary's life boat and recalled the Pokémon into its Pokeball. "Did you guys hear from Jet, yet?"

Amy shook her head, tearfully. Gary gritted his teeth and said, "There is like twenty life boats out here; I'm sure he's on one of them."

Brian sat down and nodded, "I hope you're right, I really do."

**XXX**

Both Hydra and Dragonite were blasting Pokémon back with their Dragon Rage. Meanwhile, Thorn was riding a Venomoth up above them. In a style reminiscent of Pugsly in the Viridian Forest, Thorn ripped the wings off his opponents back and jumped off before his opponent crashed to the ground. Jet could see his Charmeleon was clearly exhausted, and the rain couldn't have been helping his case. As a response, Jet recalled Thorn and placed his ultraball back on his belt.

"Alright, Hydra! Way to toss your opponent!"

Dragonite was taking on most of the enemies singlehandedly, but Jet's Gyarados was definitely holding her own. She took out two opponents already, and was now facing another three at the same time. Dragonite roared and shot his enemies with another powerful Hyper Beam. Jet covered his ears and closed his eyes as the powerful blast tore through opponents like a linebacker would a group of preteens.

When the attack was over, Jet watched in horror as all three of Hydra's opponents attacked with simultaneous projectile attacks. The mighty sea serpent was knocked off of the ship, and into the depths below. "Hydra! Noooo!" Jet yelled, almost tossing himself off of the rail after her.

There was a loud, BANG, and the Ship collapsed from the middle. The battlefield suddenly started to move into a vertical position. Jet grabbed onto the rail and held on for dear life. Some of the Pokémon fell into the water below, while most dug their claws into the deck to prevent themselves from falling.

Lance was above Jet, holding onto the rail and yelling instructions to his Dragonite, which had engaged his opponents in a vertical battle. Dragonite's claws were dug into the deck, but his Dragon Rage was just as deadly as ever. As rain poured from overhead, Jet called Hydra's name again and again.

Below him, there was a mighty roar. Six Gyarados suddenly rose from the ocean, and began to attack the Pokémon that Dragonite knocked into their midst. Jet felt his heart beat faster and faster, and silently wondered just how many levels of fear would he go through tonight. The raging Gyarados ripped and tour through their enemies, while letting out earsplitting roars as they did so.

Lance suddenly jumped on his now airborne Pokémon's back. He yelled to Jet, "Jump on! We're getting out of here!"

"Not without Hydra!" Jet yelled, "I need to find her!"

Lance grabbed Jet's arm and, with surprising strength, pulled him up onto Dragonite's back, "It's too dangerous here!"

Below, more and more Gyarados joined the fray. They all roared and feasted on the dead bodies below. Jet yelled his Pokémon's name again, "HYDRA! Where are you?"

One of the Gyarados looked up. Jet knew instantly that was his Hydra. Dragonite started to fly away, and Hydra swam after him. Jet yelled, "Stop! I need to get my Gyarados!"

Lance yelled, "It's too dangerous, I said! Those Gyarados will tear you apart if you go down there!"

Hydra roared after her trainer, and Jet did something both brave and very stupid; he jumped off of Dragonite's back and into the sea. Lance yelled Jet's name. As soon as his body made contact with the water, he thought he's died. He kept his body straight and had fell feet first, so the landing didn't hurt that much. It was the cold.

The water felt like cold incarnate. His body immediately went numb, and Jet had no idea which way to swim to get to the surface. Something big suddenly got below him and pushed him to the surface of the water. Jet inhaled when his head was above water and hugged Hydra, who once again saved his life.

"T-t-t-t-t-t-t-than-k-k-k-k y-y-y-you g-g-g-g-gi-r-r-rl!"

He hugged his Pokémon tightly. He then checked his belt and was relieved when he saw all his pokeballs were still there. Hydra let out a low growl, and then began to go around the other Gyarados, and away from the ship. Jet held on for dear life, and choked regularly as the water kept rising up into his face. He could think of nothing but the cold, and had never before noticed just how warm his Gyarados really was. As he shivered and clutched Hydra, a strange thought occurred to him that he should sleep. He suddenly felt a wave of tiredness, and embraced the blackness as it overtook him.

**XXX**

Amy covered her mouth as she watched the group of Gyarados destroy what was left of the ship. Gary shivered and said, "W-we should h-h-have never came on this damn ship!"

Brian nodded. They watched as the Gyarados stopped breaking the ship and went below the surface. Gary hugged his sister to stay warm. One of the men in the boat said, "Well, at least those monsters are gone."

There was a loud CRACK as one of the Gyarados tore through one of the life boats with a mighty roar. Everyone screamed as the beasts kin joined the party. A woman in the life boat Amy, Brian and Gary were in sent out her Croconaw and told it, "Get this boat out of here, quick!"

The Pokémon pushed the boat from the back away from danger, and was soon helped by Wartortle, Poliwag, as well as some of the other's water Pokémon. Behind them, a Dragonite came out of nowhere and sent a blast at one of the Gyarados. The Dragonite was soon helped as a bunch of trainers called forth their Pokémon to battle this new threat.

Amy started crying. Gary started shaking. Brian moaned as he thought to himself, _Please, let Jet be safe!_ They watched from a distance as everyone fought for their lives. The battle seemed to last a lifetime. A lifetime in which people were killed, boats were destroyed, and it seemed the end would never come.

Sirens sounded in the distance, and three large motorboats pulled up to the fray. The boats had sirens and were outfitted with fifty cal machine guns. On the side of each boat was the symbol for the Kanto coast guard. The boats fired at the Gyarados.

People below screamed as blood spilled into the water. Amy buried her face into Gary's shoulder. Helicopters joined the boats soon after and more bullets were fired at the Gyarados. The gunfire lasted about two minutes, and then there was silence.

**Author's Notes:**

**This chapter was a little chaotic. I planned to make the part with the Coast Guard saving the day a little longer, but I'm too tired.**

**-Jet's Charmeleon/Lvl.32**

**-Jet's Gyarados/Lvl.30**

**-Lance's Dragonite/Lvl.73**

**Next chapter should be posted soon. It may be a little confusing, what happened to Jet and all. He passed out while riding Hydra. The full aftermath should be in the next chapter. I was surprised this one ended up being so damn short when I wrote it out.**


	43. Aftermath

Aftermath

Jet woke up to his heart beating extra fast. For the second time in his life, he had woken up in a hospital and had no idea how he got there. The last thing he could really remember was drowning, but couldn't remember for the life of him _why_ he was drowning.

He looked around the room and saw no one. He tried to sit up but couldn't muster the energy. Deciding it best to wait for his friends to come get him, he closed his eyes to go back to sleep. Then, suddenly, he remembered he had been in a party for the SS Anne. He opened his eyes in panic as he wondered just why had he been drowning; had he been thrown overboard?

A doctor came in the room and smiled down at him, "Ah, you're awake! Excellent!"

Jet tried to speak but his words came out soft and slow, "Where.. am.. I? How did I get... here?"

A nurse walked in the room as well. The doctor asked, "You don't remember? Not that surprising, I suppose. It must have been very traumatic for you."

"What?" Jet asked.

A Hispanic looking man with a suit and a trench coat stormed in and told the doctor in a loud voice, "I'm not waiting anymore! He's awake, and I need to question him now!"

Jet was really confused, "What's goi-"

"You can't question him, he's too weak! And he doesn't remember what happened!"

"Oh bullshit!" exclaimed the man in the trench coat, "How could he not remember surfing on the back of a giant Gyarados to Vermilion after the explosion?"

Jet sat up with great difficulty, "Ah, shit! What happened? How did I get here? The last thing I remember.. was a party on the SS Anne! I was having dinner with Bill Brooke and Lance Delahov!"

The man in the trench coat looked down at Jet with a frown, then turned to the doctor and said, calmly, "I have a few quick questions for him, and then I'll let him rest."

The doctor looked unsure, so Jet said, "I'll talk to him, doctor. But can I get some water, please? My throat."

The man in the coat waited patiently as the nurse gave Jet some water and left the room with the doctor. Once the door was shut, the man pulled up a chair, sat down, and pulled out a badge, "Jethro Brown, my name is Special Agent James Morales, I'm with the DCI and am currently investigating the recent activity of the criminal cell known in this region as Team Rocket. I have a few questions for you, and I'll be out of your hair. Do you remember anything thing that happened after your dinner? Anything at all?"

Jet thought hard, his heart beating fast, _Just what the hell happened?_

He suddenly remembered a bunch of bright lights and loud bangs. "I remember running in the rain from some bright lights, and I remember drowning. That's it sir. Do you know what happened to me?"

Morales shifted in his seat and said, "Last night, during the party aboard the SS Anne, Team Rocket staged a robbery. A few of the passengers on board started to fight back, which resulted in a large-scale Pokémon Battle in which the ship began to sink. Our interview with Mr. Delohov revealed that you, Mr. Brown, were battling alongside of him until the ship sank. At which point your Gyarados saved you from drowning and took you back to Vermilion, while a group of _other _Gyarados attacked the remaining survivors from the sinking."

"What?" Jet felt his heart burn and his insides go numb, "I'm the only survivor?"

Morales looked alarmed and said, "Oh no, I didn't mean to scare you like that! Mostly everyone was injured but about sixty people survived the attacks. If I read Mr. Delohov's statement correctly, the people you were with survived as well."

Jet calmed down and said, "Thank god, where are they?"

"Fuchsia City, that's where most of the survivors were taken. It was the closest port to where the ship sank. Which begs the question, how did you end up in Vermilion?"

Jet shrugged, "I don't know, Hydra doesn't know these waters. Wait, Hydra! Where are my Pokémon? Are they safe?"

Morales cleared his throat and said, "You had four Pokémon on you when you washed up on shore. They are all currently at the Vermillion City Pokémon Center, waiting for you to pick them up." Jet let out a sigh of relief, and Morales continued, "They were going to shoot your Gyarados, but you woke up and recalled her. You also gave them your license number so they wouldn't confiscate your Pokémon, you don't remember any of that?"

Jet shook his head. Morales leaned a little closer and asked, "What about the incident at Mt. Moon, do you remember that? Or what about the Viridian Forest? Why is it wherever you go, people end up dead?"

Jet was taken aback, "You're not seriously suggesting that was my fault, are you? Do you know how fucked up you sound?"

Morales reached in his jacket and said, "I'm not sure why these things keep happening around you, but I think it's more than a tragic coincidence." He pulled out his card and handed it to Jet, "If you remember anything else about the attacks, then give me a call. I'll be watching you, Jethro Brown."

Morales left the room leaving Jet with a large headache. He had been right; everywhere Jet goes people tend to die. Was it him? Had he inadvertently caused these disasters? How was it that he was still alive after all the shit he's been through the last few months?

What would his father say if he knew all the dangerous shit Jet has been through? He didn't think Jet would last more than twelve hours. His mom would probably be speeding down a freeway to pick her boy up. And what of his friends?

Jet began to feel nauseated as he wondered whether or not they made it to Fuchsia City in one piece. He laid back down and shut his eyes tightly, trying to remember what happened the previous night. There was a party, then bright lights, then heavy rain, then drowning. The more Jet thought and tried to make sense of everything, the more tired he got until he was passed out.

The nurse came in the room sometime later to check Jet's vitals. Apparently he was showing early signs of hypothermia when they found him. He was given an ice heal on the way to the hospital. Since then he's been sleep until his little interrogation with Special Agent Morales.

Later that day, Jet received a call from the Fuchsia City Pokémon Center.

"H-hello?" Jet asked feebly.

"Jethro! Are you alright, mate? What the hell were you thinking? Lance told us about what you did! Do you realize you almost died?"

It was Bill. Jet said, "Slow down! Are you with the others? Are Amy and Brian ok?"

"We're here Jet!" came Amy's voice, "You're on speaker. Bill is right! Do you know how long we thought you were dead? Why did you go all the way back to Vermillion? What the fuck?"

"Jet!" Brian spoke this time, "I'm sorry for everything man! Oh my god I'm such an idiot! I thought you died and my last words to you were-"

"Did everyone think I was dead?" Jet asked weakly.

"I didn't," came Lance's voice, "You're a tough kid. I never fought alongside a trainer your age with your skill. I'd be very surprise to learn if you died that night."

"Listen, mate," Bill interjected, "No one's denying you've got balls, but you can't very well jump into an ocean at subzero temperatures from the back of a fucking dragon, alright? You could've been killed! If it weren't for your Gyarados, you would've been killed! You need to be more careful!"

"We're coming down there," Gary said, "Amy and I, we're coming to Vermillion. I got my car still down there and all my stuff."

"After that we're going to stay with my dad for a while," Amy said, "Everything has been just way too crazy. Too many near deaths. I need to get away for a while. You should go back home too, Jet."

Jet coughed and said, "I'm not going home. Not yet."

Brian laughed and said, "I knew you'd say that! I'm going to keep going too! But listen, I need you to send me my stuff when you get out the hospital, ok? I'm staying out here and checking out the Safari Zone."

Jet coughed and said, "Yeah, whatever. Look, they told me that my phone got destroyed in the chaos so I need you guys to contact me over Facebook for now, ok? I got to hang up, and get some sleep, glad you guys are alright."

"Yeah, of course," said a reluctant Amy, "Get some sleep. We'll see you in a couple of days."

"I look forward to the day we meet again, Mr. Brown," said Lance, "I will be watching your career with great interest."

"I still can't believe we were fighting together," said Jet, "I don't remember any of that by the way."

"Well you fought bravely," Lance assured him, "As well as skillfully."

It did not take long for Jet to go back to sleep. His body still ached, his head still throbbed. At the very least, however, Jet found peace of mind knowing that his friends had survived.

**Author's Notes:**

**I took a very long break from writing. It wasn't intentional, it just sort of happened. Besides, I'd rather write when the story comes to me naturally and put out quality work than force myself to write when I'm really not feeling it.**

**It's not that I didn't know what was going to happen next, I just needed a little break. When writing a story that is as long as this one, sometimes you just need to put the pen down for a while. As you probably guessed, Jet is going to go for his Thunder Badge next, and will be getting a couple of new additions to his team. One of which was highly requested so I'm bringing them out sooner rather than later.**

**I'm not sure how often the updates will come. I'm trying to wean my way back into writing. This chapter was actually mostly written weeks ago and just ended up being shorter than I planned. Honestly, this is probably the shortest chapter I have written for this story. I definitely plan on making the new chapters much longer, so don't think this is how the story is going to be from now on. I just read through the chapter and it really didn't need anything else.**

**But anyway, I know during my break a lot of new readers put this under their story alerts and left reviews. Thank you for reading and I'm glad you enjoy the story. Hopefully you will enjoy the future chapters. For my old readers, thank you for sticking with the story, and I hope I won't disappoint!**

**Coming soon: Chapter 44 - LT. Surge**


	44. Lt Surge

LT. Surge

_"The identity of the young man battling side by side with Lance Delohov has remained a mystery for the past week since the incident occurred. However, thanks to an anonymous source within the VMCPD, his identity has finally been confirmed as Jethro Brown, shown in the above photo._

_"Brown is a Class A Pokémon trainer who once worked for the famous Professor Oak. Described as a 'prodigious trainer' by his old coworkers, Brown has two league badges and owns a Gyarados just two months after getting his first Pokémon from the famous Pokémon professor. He has already rubbed elbows with some very high profile trainers in this region, including current champion Delahov, and former champion Bill Brooke._

_"However, there is speculation on whether he is simply just a talented young trainer or whether he is gaining such momentum so early in his career because of ties with Team Rocket. Although there is no _actual_ proof that he is a member of the Organization, Brown has been tied to at least two incidents involving Team Rocket and a separate event involving the deaths of two innocent Pokémon trainers during a simple Bug Catching Contest._

_"One bug catcher described Brown as a ruthless trainer, who killed two of his contest entrees in battle and tore the wing off another, _just for sport!

_"'Personally, I think any trainer that would allow his opponent's Pokémon to die in a routine Pokémon Battle should be behind bars,' say's Pokémon Shelter manager, Kyle Shrewster, 'but there is no law against it, because accidents happen. But with so much death surrounding this kid, at what point does someone step in and say enough?'_

_"Are the deaths following Brown just a tragic coincidence? Or is there something darker, more sinister about this supposed 'prodigy' happening? Could he be the cause behind the attacks on Mt. Moon and the SS Anne?"_

"Ok, Jet, that's enough!" said Amy, "Why the hell would they print that bullshit?"

Jet dropped the paper down on the table and looked up at Amy and Gary, "What if they're right?" he said in a cracked voice. "What if somehow, I inadvertently caused these deaths?"

They were going over this morning's headlines that appeared in the _Kanto Inquirer_. All three were in Jet's room at the Vermillion Pokémon Center. Brian had stayed in Fuchsia City to catch some strong Pokémon in the Safari Zone. Jet was lost. He could barely remember what happened on the ship, but the cops and the newspapers were now looking at him as a suspect. His parents had demanded that he come home, even going so far as to threaten coming to Vermillion to get him their selves. He had only just got out of the hospital the previous day.

"How could you even say that, Jet?" Gary asked incredulously, "You stayed on the ship to fight while everyone escaped! If anything, you probably prevented a few deaths!"

"But all of this shit keeps following me," Jet said, "and I _did_ let those Pokémon die! I just got so caught up with winning, and now cops are questioning me in my hospital bed-"

"Jet, stop it!" Amy said over his voice, "That's enough! Don't let what these people say about you make you doubt yourself! Bad things have happened around you, it's true! But that doesn't make it your fault! Are you just going to keep sulking, or are you going to pick yourself up?"

Jet looked at Amy, "You're right. It's just- too much, you know?"

"Yeah," said Gary, "That's why we're going home for a while. Maybe you should do the same."

Jet shook his head, "Nah, I can't go home now. Not after everything I've seen. Everything I've done. I won't be happy unless I'm out there, doing my thing. Amy, you're right. I can't let these people get to me! I'm not part of Team Rocket, why should I feel guilty?" _Why __**do**__ I feel guilty?_ He asked himself. Jet knew he had to go training again, soon. His Pokémon are the only ones that could keep his mind off of all of this craziness.

"This whole thing has been crazy," Amy said, "I thought I was going to die, like nine times that night. If it wasn't for Gary, I probably would've."

Gary shook his head, "We should have never got on that ship in the first place."

"But," Amy said, "There is no _way_ we could've known what was going to happen!"

"Whatever, I'm just glad it's over," said Gary, "You're lucky not to remember any of it, Jet."

Jet ran his fingers through his head and said, "Yeah, right. Lucky. I've got nothing but luck, and all of it bad."

The next day, Amy and Gary left town. Gary had replaced Jet's check that he won from him on the SS Anne, and Jet had sent Brian his stuff in the mail. The money Jet got from Gary was enough to cover his rent at the Pokémon Center, but he was still relatively broke from buying his bike. Jet decided that he would head to the local Gym to make some money. His last couple of Gym Battles resulted in high pay days due to the odds of winning, and Jet could really use the money.

So the next day, Jet got dressed, grabbed his bike, and headed for the local Gym in hopes of making enough cash to head back to Cerulean for a while. He was still weak from the attack on SS Anne, but not so weak that he couldn't ride his motor bike. He felt a slight rush as he rode through the city, in search of battle. This was what he lived for. On the battle field, he was in his element. He needed this. Anything to distract him from his thoughts.

Jet soon arrived at the Vermillion City Pokémon Gym. It was stationed next to the pier and looked more like an old warehouse than anything. Parking his bike, Jet entered the Gym to make an appointment.

As soon as he walked in, he was in the main battle area. It spanned nearly the entire size of the building and had multiple Pokémon Battles going on at once. There was no reception desk, just an open battle field. Jet walked up to one of the crowds that were gathered around a Pokémon battle and asked over the cheers, "Does anyone know where I sign up for-"

"Ask him." One of the people in the crowd said nonchalantly, pointing at a tall guy with a buzz cut and a whistle who was walking around the room yelling at the trainers. "You call that a Mega Punch? Why are you even here? Get that sad little Tyrogue off my floor until he can battle with the big boys!"

Jet walked up to the man with slight apprehension. The man stood at six-two, was heavily muscled, wore combat boots and dog tags, and yelled at the trainers battling as though he was a drill sergeant. "Umm, excuse me- sir?"

The drill sergeant looked at Jet and asked, "Who are you? You with this Gym?"

"No, I'm here to make an appointment to challenge the Gym Leader."

The man looked at surprised at first, but then burst out laughing. "You want to challenge me? How old are you, six? Come back in a few years, junior. I don't battle amateurs."

The gym leader turned his back on Jet and went to yell at some more trainers. Jet stood silent at first, _Junior? Did this asshole really just call me Junior? You'd think I was fourteen again! I'm eighteen years old! Who the fuck does this asshole think he is?_

Jet ran up behind the Gym Leader and said, "Hey! I'm not an amateur! I have two badges, that's got to count for something!"

The man turned around and looked at Jet. He smirked and said, "You got badges kid? Let's see them!"

Jet went in his bag and pulled out his badge case. The Gym Leader rolled his eyes and said, "I should have figured. One badge that has a Gym under new management, and the other that's ran by four little girls. Those two badges ain't impressing me, kid."

Jet stood in shock for a moment, "Wha- you?"

"Yes, little man?"

"You can't _not_ accept my challenge! That's against the rules! Battle me! And we'll see how much of an amateur I am!"

Apparently there were people watching because there was a big, "Ohhh!" and "Look's like he wants to get his ass kicked, Lieutenant!" and "Fry that kid, LT!"

The Lieutenant smirked again and said, "You want to challenge me so bad, fine! I, Lt George Surgio, accept your challenge!"

"We're going now?" Jet was surprised, usually he'd have to wait before a Gym battle. The Lieutenant grinned and asked, "Is that a problem, kiddo?"

"Not at all!" said Jet almost defiantly.

"Get him, Lt Surge!"

"Kick his ass!"

Lt Surge gestured for the room to be quiet and told Jet, "Go through the weight room over there on your left. At the end is a door that has _Admin. Office_ written on it. Fill out the paperwork there, and meet me back here for a one on one battle, roger?"

"Uhh, yeah," Jet said, "Roger."

"All right then," Lt Surge said to the room at large, "The rest of you ladies clear the drill floor! We got ourselves an official Gym challenge!"

The trainers all laughed and began to clear the middle of the floor. Jet went into the weight room to look for the administration office. He felt a little nervous because he didn't really have a chance to prepare for this battle like his other Gym matches. Not to mention that this fight was a one-on-one. Jet finally found the office he was looking for and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

He walked in to a small, dingy office with nothing but a desk, phone, computer, and file cabinet. The lady sitting at the desk, who looked to be about in her thirties, smiled and said, "Hi, you here to join the Gym?"

"Umm, no. I'm here to sign up for a Gym Challenge."

"Ohh," said the lady, "Then you will be battling my husband, George. He's pretty good, you sure you want to sign up?"

Jet said, "Why the hell does everyone assume I can't battle just because of my age?"

"I didn't mean it like that sweetie," said Mrs. Surgio, "I mean usually when trainers come in here to get a badge, they come out with severely injured Pokémon. This Gym is no cake walk, and my husband hasn't had to hand out a badge in well over a year. The last person to win a badge here had already fought in the regional's. This is no place for locals."

_Sounds tough! But I can't back out now! Everyone saw me challenge Surge!_ "I'll sign up anyway, ma'am. I'm not one to run away from a tough battle."

And so, Jet had to fill out the necessary paperwork for the Gym Battle. It was a five hundred dollar challenge fee, plus at least a thousand dollar bet. Jet was now down to his last few hundred dollars, so he really needed a win here. After getting a voucher for his Gym Challenge, Jet headed to drill floor where Lt Surge was already waiting for him. Next to his leg, was a Raichu, poised for battle.

"My Pokémon will be Raichu, send yours out!"

Jet had only four Pokémon on him to choose from. His Gyarados wouldn't do much good, nor would his Kadabra. His Charmeleon could probably take Raichu on, but his Geodude would be immune to its electric attacks all together. Deciding to go on the defensive, Jet sent out his Geodude.

The editor of the match said, "This is a one on one match between Geodude, and Raichu. The match will continue until either one side gives up, or is unable to battle. Are both trainer's ready?"

Jet nodded; Lt Surge simply laughed and said, "Just start the match! I've got things to do today!" The editor nodded and said, "Begin!"

"Raichu, use Iron Tail!"

"Use Rock Tomb, Boulder!"

Raichu's tail began to emit a metallic glow as it ran at its opponent. Geodude thrust his arms up in an upward gesture, causing rocks to slide upward from the ground in an attempt to trap Raichu. Geodude's attack missed, and he had to roll backwards to avoid Raichu's attack.

"Boulder, try using Magnitude!"

Geodude pounded the ground, sending a seismic shockwave in all directions. Raichu lazily jumped the attack, however, and came down full force with Iron Tail. This time, Geodude was not able to dodge.

The force of the attack smacked Geodude so hard, he shot across the drill floor like a cannon ball. Jet called his Pokémon's name out in shock as it flew out a nearby window. As Jet ran out the door after Geodude, he could hear the editor announce Lt. Surge's victory as the crowd laughed.

Jet looked outside frantically for his Pokémon, "Boulder! Where are you?" He heard a groan come from a nearby dumpster. Lying next to it, was Jet's defeated Geodude. There was a bloody crack on his skull from where the Iron Tail had hit. Or perhaps it was from the large dent that was imprinted on the dumpster, signifying a crash. Jet fell to his knees and went into his bag to grab a potion, "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have sent you out to battle! I should have known you weren't ready!"

As Jet sprayed Geodude's head with a healing potion, he thought to himself, _What the fuck is wrong with me? Why would I send Boulder out knowing he wasn't as trained as Thorn? This wasn't some routine battle, this was a Gym match! I sent him out just because he had a type advantage without paying attention to any other variables! I'm acting like a fucking rookie! I just lost most of my money and seriously injured my Geodude! What the fuck is wrong with me?_

Jet recalled his Geodude after wrapping his head in bandages. Behind him, a voice said, "You know what you're doing in terms of medical care." Jet turned around to find himself once again face to face with Lt Surge. "In terms of battle experience, though, you need a lot of work kid!"

Jet stood up and said, "I fucked up. I've been distracted lately and I figured a Gym battle would put me back on track. I guess I overestimated my abilities."

"Pff, you can say that again, kid." Lt Surge smirked and said, "I appreciate that you're actually going out there and challenging Gym's to make a name for yourself, I think all young trainers should do that in order to grow. You need to battle people who are stronger than you. But you're biting off more than you can chew. You get a couple of badges from some second rate Gyms and you think you're hot shit! But you're not kid. You're nowhere close. Watch who you challenge before you get your Pokémon hurt, you hear me?"

Jet felt his insides go numb as a Lt Surge laughed, "Don't give me that look! It may hurt your pride, but you're out of your league around here! Maybe you can sign up with my Gym and I'll teach you a few things. Then, in like six months, you can challenge me again and we'll see if you've improved."

"No." Jet said, his numbness now being replaced by anger, "I'm not joining your fucking Gym! And I'm not waiting six months, either! I want to challenge you again; then we'll see who's laughing!"

Lt Surge laughed harder, "You got some stones, kid! You really want to get humiliated again? Fine! Come back November fourteenth at noon. Bring your strongest Pokémon with you for a full on six on six match. Bring money too, and get ready to lose it. I'll set everything up." He leaned in closer to Jet's face and his smirk faded into a snarl, "I'm going to crush you, you little shit! I'm going to show you your place! Then, when all of your Pokémon are beaten and bloodied, I don't ever want to see your fucking mug in my Gym again! Now get out of here, you fucking snot nosed brat!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Another short chapter. Jet has got some training to so if he wants to stand a chance against Lt Surge. Last time he got his ass kicked like this was against a former League champion. With two weeks to train, will Jet be able to take on the Lightning American? Will he be able to find his rhythm back after all of the attacks by team rocket?**

**Find out soon!**

**Jet's Geodude – Lvl 20**

**Lt Surge's Raichu – Lvl. 43**

**Don't worry, you'll see everyone's full level's later. Hope you enjoy the next few chapters, cause Jet starts training again!**


	45. Mantis

Mantis

"Ok, take one more deep breath… That's it, good! Now let it out." Jet had his hand on Spark's belly, "Any discomfort?" The little Pikachu shook his head. Jet asked, "You wouldn't be lying to me would you?" Spark put one ear in the air and gave Jet a questioning look.

"I can't have you do any strenuous training if it causes you bodily harm. Now be honest, have you had any problems breathing or moving? Any issues with your electricity at all?"

Spark shook his head and said, "Pi pi, chaaa."

"Mhm." Jet said as though he understood the little electric mouse's cooing. Jet ran his finger over a scar on Spark's abdomen and scowled, "It's all Team Rocket and that god damn organization." Jet stood up and began to pace his room while Spark watched curiously from Jet's bed.

"Because of them, people are dead. Pokémon are dead. The cops are asking me all kinds of questions, like I'm involved. They hurt you, Spark." Jet looked down at his Pokémon with a pained look on his face, "They almost took you from me. And Thorn, and Hydra, they almost took everything from me. And for what?" Jet sat down in a chair, "A fucking pay day? Murderer's and thieves. Slave owners and abusers. That's all they are, Spark. They need to be stopped."

Jet put his face in his hands. Spark hopped on his shoulder and placed a caring paw on his head. Jet grabbed the hand and said, "We're going back to the field, back to training. I don't want you to over exert yourself, you understand?"

Spark nodded and Jet sighed. He stood up and flopped down on his bed. He had just had his mom send Spark back to him over the computer. It was a stressful ordeal to convince her over the phone, as both parents were thoroughly convinced that Jet should just come back home. Jet argued that if they didn't send Spark over, then he'd come home and get him his self before leaving again. Fortunately, after a lot of shouting and crying, Jet's parent's decided he was safer with his Pikachu. This decision was partially due to the fact that the little guy got into an argument with the family Growlithe a few days prior. After the argument turned violent, Spark had easily defeated the family guardian, and this was after the former was injured.

Jet now had five Pokémon on him. He decided that he wouldn't have to train Hydra, Thorn, or Spark that much as they were already strong enough to take on most trainers. His Kadabra and Geodude, however, were different stories. Jet asked around and learned that there was a field east of town that a lot of locals trained at. He decided to go there for a while to train his two underdogs.

Jet had no idea who was going to be his sixth Pokémon to take on Lt Surge, but he was leaning towards either his Pidgeotto or his Weepinbell. Either way he would wait to train a sixth Pokémon until after he caught Neo and Boulder up to standard.

After giving Spark a quick physical, Jet packed all of his bags and checked out of his room at the Pokémon Center. He got on his bike with his gear in tow, and headed east to train for his rematch with Lt Surge. It was time get serious; _I'm not losing to that douchebag again!_

An hour after leaving the Pokémon Center, Jet stopped to fill up his bike at a gas station just outside of town. "Hi, How may I help you today?" said the cute cashier. "Hey, let me get fifteen on number two, this Gatorade, and these combos. Oh, and a couple of Slim Jim's!"

"Going on a camping trip or something?" the cashier asked noticing Jet's backpack.

"Yeah," Jet said, "Something like that. You know anything about this area?"

"Well yeah," said the cashier, "I kind of live out here."

"Then do you know where I can find a body of water to set up camp by? Somewhere where maybe wild Pokémon go to drink from often?"

The girl looked at Jet's belt and said, "Oh, you're a trainer! Umm, yeah, I know a place like that. If you go straight down this road over here," she pointed to the one Jet had already been driving on, "And go left when you see a big red barn, then there is a huge pond about a half mile out that they don't let kids hang around because of all the Pokémon in the area. If you're a trainer then you shouldn't have a problem."

And so Jet headed out following the cashier's directions until he ended up at what was either a very large pond, or a very small lake. Deciding it best not to park his bike too close to the rode, Jet went around to the other side of the pond to park and camp out by some trees.

_This place is perfect! The water is just big enough for Hydra to fit, there are enough tree's to practice maneuverability, and there's tall grass nearby! I don't think this area has any berry tries though, so I'll have to be careful to ration the ones I do have accordingly. Holy shit!_

While riding around the pond, Jet spotted a rather rare bug Pokémon fly down from the tree's and bend down to take a drink up ahead. This Pokémon stood at four-eleven**, (AN: is it weird that I didn't even need to look up its height online? God I'm a nerd!)**, head a green exoskeleton, and had two scythe-like blades on its arms. This Pokémon was aptly named Scyther.

Jet stopped his bike immediately and turned off the engine. He could not risk this Pokémon flying off. He reached to his belt and pulled out Spark's Pokeball, "Let's see how much you recovered! Go Spark, use Thundershock!"

Jet sent forth his Pikachu. Before the electric mouse could strike, however, the wild Scyther sensed a nearby foe and jumped the attack with amazing speed. Once in the air, the bug Pokémon surrounded itself with a dark aura as it prepared itself to use Pursuit. Jet quickly said, "Use Double Team, Spark!"

If not for Pikachu's scar, one would not be able to tell he was even injured in the first place as he moved at a tremendous speed. Scyther used Pursuit, but missed and instead hit one of Pikachu's after images. Scyther growled as Pikachu surrounded it with transparent images of himself, and swung its blades and wings in a circular motion.

Silver powder was released from Scyther's body and shot out in a three hundred-sixty degree gust, hitting Pikachu and negating his Double Team. After knocking Spark back with Silver Wind, Scyther shot forward with a Quick Attack. Jet yelled, "Jump and use Thunderbolt!"

Spark jumped the attack at the last second, and sent forth a powerful blast of electricity. But Scyther, who seemed to be getting faster and faster, **(AN: She's using Agility.)**, dodged the attack with apparent ease. It flew at Spark for another attack.

"Use Thunder Wave! Slow it down!"

Spark sent out a weak pulse of electricity at just the right moment before dodging Scyther's blow. The Thunder Wave hit its target and paralyzed the Scyther. Jet said, "Finish it with Thunderbolt!"

Jet's hair stood on end as another powerful jolt of electricity was sent into the atmosphere. This time, the attack hit. This time, Scyther went down. Jet pulled out a Great Ball from his bag and threw it. The wild Scyther was sucked in, rocked feebly a couple of times, and then was captured.

Jet laughed and told Spark, "That is what the fuck I'm talking about! Oh my god you were amazing!" He picked up his Pikachu and threw him into the air, "I missed you, so much! I missed this! The thrill of battle! The euphoria of catching a new Pokémon! Holy shit!"

Jet put down Pikachu and picked up the great ball, "We caught a Scyther! A _Scyther!_ I can't believe it! Wait until Brian hears this one! He always wanted a Scyther!" Pikachu gave a proud, "Pi, pi!"

Jet got out his Pokedex and registered the newly caught Pokémon. She was a female at level twenty-five. She had a wide variety of attacks that included Silver Wind, Bug Buzz, and even Steel Wing. Her speed stat was ungodly, and her attack wasn't anything to be ashamed about either. _I'll call you Mantis. Welcome to the team, girl!_

Jet looked around and said, "I guess this is as good a place as any to set up camp, what do you think, Spark?"

Spark twitched his ears and went over to the pond to get a drink of water. "Alright, I guess that settles it. Might as well send everyone else out." A few hours later, the camp site was set up and Jet was tending to Mantis' injuries. Hydra was lounging lazily in the pond while the others ate fish.

"You seem to have regained your mobility," Jet informed Scyther, "those paralysis heals work pretty damn fast." Scyther simply growled. Jet got the impression that his new Pokémon didn't like him very much. This was not the first time this has happened, as not all wild Pokémon appreciate being captured. Still, the bond was established, so Jet was in no harm from his newest team member.

"Ok, listen up!" Jet said to his team at large, "Things have been a little chaotic lately, but now it's back to the grind stone! In a couple of weeks we're going to face a difficult opponent, a Gym Leader by the name of Lt Surge. Now, I did some research on this guy, turns out he favor's electric types. I don't want you guys to assume that every Pokémon he sends out will be electric; we don't assume, we prepare for any and everything."

By this point all of Jet's Pokémon were nestled in a circle around him. He turned to his Charmeleon, "Thorn, you will help lead the training, make sure everyone gives one hundred percent." Thorn growled affirmative, and Jet turned to Pikachu, "Spark, you will be doing agility training. I need you at the top of your game. This guy has a Raichu, if need be I'm going to need you to out maneuver it. I know you can do it, you haven't failed me yet." Spark nodded determinately.

Jet turned to Hydra, "We're going to have you do maneuver training as well. These tree's here are tightly spaced, they'll help you with closed quarters fighting. Make me proud, girl." Jet then turned to Geodude, "Boulder, we need to work on your defense and mobility. You are going to be training directly with Spark. And Neo, you have to get accustomed to being a Kadabra rather than an Abra. I also have a few new attacks that I think you should try out."

Jet finally turned to Scyther, "Mantis, the next couple of weeks are probably going to be harder on you than anyone else. I have a lot of new attacks I want to teach you and a lot of strategies I want to go over with you. You will be working directly with Thorn here. He'll help teach you everything you need to know."

And hard it was on Scyther. Jet had her go through some grueling strength training exercises that included running with Jet on her back, having her practice different moves while fighting against the influence of Kadabra's telekinesis, (this was beneficial to both Scyther and Kadabra), and running her through some of Sora's old flying drills.

Although all Scyther _can_ fly, most rarely _do_. Because of this, their flight abilities are vastly underdeveloped from what they had the potential of doing. Jet decided he wanted his Scyther to be able to fly as well as any bird if the need ever arose, so poor Mantis spent half her days doing aerial drills. Although she didn't have near Sora's skill, the drills helped strengthen her wings. This made her Wing Attack and Silver Wind more powerful.

It was also awkward working on hand to hand combat with Scyther, due to her blades. Jet had to translate all of his punches into slashes and cleaves. Her speed was amazing; she even gave Spark and Thorn a run for their money. Jet wanted to slow her down so they could work more on technique, so he had her wear the binding brace for a while.

It did not take her long to adapt, and soon she moved as though there was no resistance at all. Among her attacks, Bug Bite and Slash were the most powerful. Bug Buzz had some kick behind it as well, but her attack power was much higher than her special attack.

Although she did still have a bit of an attitude problem, she began to trust Jet more as she started to see the results of her training. She soon surpassed all of Jet's other Pokémon in terms of speed. Her swings were so swift, she one time halved a tree in a single blow. It soon became too difficult for anyone to go against her in a hand to hand sparring match; she was just _that_ quick.

Neo was much more powerful as a Kadabra than he was as an Abra. Able to lift an entire tree from its roots with his telekinetic powers. During a battle with a wild Drowzee, Neo took it out in an amazing display of force. Neo also practiced communicating telepathically with Jet. This was a new experience that caused Jet many headaches. However, the ability to silently communicate with a Pokémon in a fight is an invaluable skill that would be sure to give Jet an advantage with Neo during battle.

Geodude's Magnitude had become a force to be reckoned with. Defensively, he was improving on dodging and countering. Jet felt that his team should be ready to face Surge by his deadline, but Jet would have to make some money first. As much as he didn't want to, soon he'd have to go to Faust to earn some money for his Gym Battle.

After ten days of field training, Jet packed his gear and recalled his Pokémon to hit the road. He felt a slight sense of accomplishment muddled in with the need to shower; his weaker Pokémon were showing tremendous progress. After packing, Jet got on his bike and headed for the road back to Vermillion. _God I reek! Sometimes baby wipes just don't do the job. I can't wait to shower._

Soon Jet came up to a construction site that was blocking his way. Jet pulled up to one of the workers and asked, "What's going on?"

The worker took a sip of water and said, "Nature kid, that's what. We're supposed to be doing roadwork here because the asphalt got all fucked up. Turns out a family of Diglett nested right under the road and they don't appreciate us working here."

"Diglett?" asked Jet, "There's like a series of tunnels not too far from here that houses thousands of them. They must've migrated."

"Yeah well," said the worker while wiping sweat from his brow, "We can't exactly just tell them to go back to the tunnels, they've been fucking with our equipment all day. We're waiting for some trainers from animal control to come by and catch the little fuckers."

Jet laughed, "Good luck with that! Trying to catch a Diglett is like playing whack-a-mole. There any way around this area?"

"Nah," said the worker, "You'll have to wait for animal control to get here. I wouldn't suggest trying to go straight through, cause those little fuckers are vicious!"

"Uh huh," Jet was starting to get annoyed. "How many are there exactly?"

"Hard to say, to tell the truth! I think around six."

Jet put the kick stand on his bike and took the keys out, "Watch this for me."

"Whoa, whoa! You can't just go over there!"

Jet pulled out his license and said, "I'm a Class A trainer, I'll be fine. I'll catch 'em for you. Just wait here and watch my bike." Jet had a plan in mind. He was not going to catch the Diglett for the construction workers, but for himself. Diglett weren't _super_ rare, but they were difficult to catch. If Jet caught a family of Diglett, he would be able to sell them for at least five grand a pop.

Jet walked up to the area that was blocked off by caution tape. A couple of workers tried to stop him, "You can't go through here, it's too dangerous!"

Jet flashed his license and said, "I'm here to solve your Diglett problem." A man who looked to be in charge exhaled in relief, "Thank God, we've been waiting forever for you guys. Go ahead, do your thing."

Jet walked past the tape and sent out his Kadabra. "Neo, around this area there are a group of Diglett underground, can you sense them?" There was an uncomfortable pressure that was exerted in Jet's mind as he heard Neo's thoughts say, _Yes._ "Ok, bring them to the surface, we're going to practice that mass hypnosis technique we talked about."

Neo raised his hands in the air as his eyes began to glow. Jet had to break contact with Neo's mind, because the psychic Pokémon was sending too much energy through their mental connection, giving Jet a serious headache. Soon, no less than eight Diglett were pulled from the earth. The tops of their bodies looked like brown, furry capsules; the bottom half was a drill. Jet said, "Ok, boy, put them to sleep!"

Jet had Neo practice a new kind of technique with his telekinesis that constricts the blood flow to the brain, similar to a sleeper hold, to put his foe to sleep. Jet hadn't named the attack, but it was definitely effective as it put all eight Diglett to sleep at once. As soon as they were asleep, Neo dropped them all on the ground. Jet went in his bag and caught them all with eight Pokeballs.

"That's crazy," said one of the construction workers, "We've been fighting these things all week, and you catch them in less than five minutes?"

Jet recalled Neo and smiled, "Yeah, well, I _am_ a professional." He walked back to his bike after registering all of the newly caught Diglett. Jet decided he would put one in storage in case he ever wanted to use it later. The rest, he could sell online and make enough to buy new supplies _and_ pay for his match with Lt Surge. As he started his bike to head out, Jet's mind was on two things; a shower and a payday.

**Author's Notes:**

**Not much happening this chapter, but next one will see a few Pokémon Battles and an evolution of one of Jet's Pokémon. By the way, good job to all of those who suggested Jet catch a Scyther. I was planning on doing that for a while, but my original plan was for him to catch one in the Safari Zone. I brought Scyther out earlier just cause it was requested so often.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoy the future chapters, and please leave your thoughts on this one!**


	46. Telepathy

Telepathy

No one ever really notices how much they need something until it's gone. The same is true of cars, computers, relationships, and it was certainly true of Jet's cell phone. Although he knew his house number and was able to communicate with his best friends online, he had absolutely no means of contacting Misty.

His phone was utterly destroyed so he couldn't just look up her contact. He didn't know her last name so it was too difficult to find her online. Still, through all the training and craziness of the last couple of weeks, Jet really did miss that little redhead. True, he did not feel the same way about her as he felt about Natalie, but she definitely weighed heavy on his thoughts. He wondered just how far their relationship might have got had it not been for Team Rocket's low-brow thugs.

As Jet logged out of one of the Pokémon Center's guest computers after failing to find her online yet again, he thought back to their first date before it was ruined. _I've got to head back to Cerulean,_ Jet thought to himself, _after I battle Surge, that is. Might as well bet big this time; it's not like I can't afford it._

Ironically, after catching the very Diglett that were causing those road workers so much trouble, their boss bought the lot for an even twenty-five large. Jet kept one for himself, but was glad to get rid of the other seven so quickly. Jet figured if he bet at least five grand on his Gym match, then with the odds against him he could win enough money to keep him going through the entire winter!

For the past few days since Jet got back from field training, he's been having his Pokémon battle it out at Faust, the local battle club. Jet has yet to lose, and his Pokémon have been wrecking any opponent they have come up against. Jet still had another two days until his Gym battle, so his plan was to head down to Faust for one more pay day. With fifty dollars to get in and one hundred dollars a win, Jet had more than enough dough to blow through before his big match.

As Jet thought back to his last few battles, his head began to hurt again. Training with Neo was definitely taking a toll on Jet's mind. He has been getting headaches left and right. Sometimes it happened while he was riding his bike, sometimes it happened during battle. It was most likely happening now because of the training Jet was doing a couple hours ago between Kadabra and Pikachu. It was a price he'd have to pay if he wanted to keep working on a mental connection with his Kadabra, so he simply went to his bag and popped a few aspirin in the hopes it would go away. _Time to head out._

And so that night, Jet headed down to the battle club. The excitement of battle mounted the closer Jet got to his destination. Whatever stress was going on in his life, the thrill of battle was always a welcome distraction for Jet. On the battle field, he felt, he was at his best. Nothing in his life had ever compared, and he doubted very much if anything ever would.

Jet entered Faust and paid the fee to enter a match. It was crowded inside, like always. There were a couple of Nidoran battling to the DJ's sound track, which at the moment was playing AC DC. The clerk grinned when he saw Jet, "Coming back to clean up again, huh? There's a new guy here who might give you a run for your money; they call him AJ. He's been blowing right through the competition all day. Think this might be the day you lose?"

Jet smiled and yelled over the background music, "I like tough opponents! You got any waters back there?" The clerk nodded and went to the cooler behind his desk to pull out a bottle of water, "One-fifty, and good luck today! I'm pulling for you!"

Jet paid for his water and headed over to watch the match with the crowd. The music playing in the background definitely made the battle more interesting, and it hyped up the crowd. Jet cheered and hollered as the night went on, and the trainers were being cycled through. He saw a match between a Poliwhirl and a Meowth, a Spearow and a Diglett, and a particularly exciting match between a Raticate and a Furret.

Jet winced as one of his headaches began to come back. _Not now!_ Jet took a sip of water in an attempt to ignore it; he had to keep focused in case his name was called soon. When the headache did not relent, Jet had to go in his bag and pop some aspirin in hopes that it would stop soon.

After about an hour, Jet got to see his competition as the editor called the guy named AJ into the ring. AJ looked like a cross between a lion tamer in a circus, and a punk-rock guitarist. He wore ripped jeans and hiking boots, a leather vest with no shirt, his hair was died green and black, and he carried a whip into the cage. AJ also had a vast assortment of tribal tattoos that covered his arms and chest. Jet was thoroughly convinced this kid must've trained Pokémon for the circus. His opponent, some local kid of about fifteen who looked nervous to be against the guy who apparently has been undefeated all day.

"Alright," said the editor, "You know the rules! No killing, no hurting the crowd. Keep it clean and let's have ourselves a fucking battle! Both trainers ready?" They both nodded, though AJ's opponent looked anything but, "Alrighty then, BEGIN!"

AJ sent his Pokémon out first, "Go, Beedrill!"

"Let's do it, Magnimite!"

As soon as Magnimite was sent out, AJ cracked his whip twice. Beedrill obviously knew what AJ wanted because it immediately went in for the attack. When Magnimite started to spark as though it were going to use an electric attack, AJ cracked his whip once, and the Beedrill then went on the defensive. Magnimite sent electric sparks at its foe, but Beedrill had anticipated the attack and dodged it easily.

"That's it Magnimite! Hit him with another Thundershock!"

AJ gave his whip one good crack, and Beedrill automatically started dodging Magnimite's attacks. As soon as Beedrill was positioned so it could see its trainer, AJ swung his whip over his head and gave it a quick crack. Beedrill then shot its opponent with stringshot in the eye. Jet gave a low whistle, _This guy is good! He gives all his commands with his whip so his opponent can't react in time. And his Pokémon knows exactly how to react, too! Not my style, but still impressive. _Jet drank more water as his head continued to throb. The match that was going on was definitely doing a good job of distracting him, however.

"Magnimite!" cried AJ's opponent. As soon as Magnimite was blinded, AJ yelled, "Brick Break!" and cracked his whip twice. Beedrill closed the distance between it and Magnimite and stabbed the shit out of its opponent with Brick Break. Magnimite fell to the ground and did not rise again. The editor called the match, "Magnimite is unable to battle! Beedrill is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as AJ raised his whip in triumph. Jet smirked, "All right, I have _got_ to face this dude tonight! I need a real challenge!"

After AJ and his opponent left the stage, the editor called, "Next we have Jethro Brown vs. Erin Hale, come to the cage!" Jet stepped forward and stood opposite his opponent; a heavy set emo chick with waaay too much eye make-up.

She asked, "You're the guy from that ship aren't you? The one on the news?" The question caught Jet off guard, "Uhh, yeah wh-"

"You're going down, pretty boy! I take you out, then everyone will know I'm not to be fucked with!"

"Ookaaaaay?" Jet laughed to himself, _Is this bitch serious?_ He stopped smiling when his head gave another painful throb, _Fuck! _The editor interjected, "You both know the rules! No killing, don't hurt the spectators, and keep it clean! Both trainers ready? Ok, BEGIN!"

Jet went first, "Go, Boulder!"

"Go Machop, take this fucking Geodude out!"

Once Jet's opponent sent out her Pokémon, Jet told Geodude, "Use Rock Polish!" The little rock Pokémon's skin began to smooth itself out as he used his aura to temporarily increase his speed.

"Machop, use Karate Chop!"

Machop went in for the attack, but Geodude rolled out the way with incredible speed. Machop attacked again, but again Geodude dodged. "Good job, Boulder, now hit him with Rock Smash!"

Geodude cocked his fist back and went in for the attack, but Machop countered with Low Kick, knocking Jet's Pokémon against the cage wall. Jet winced; his head gave another painful throb just as Geodude hit the cage wall. After countering Geodude's attack, Machop immediately went in for a tackle attack. Jet was about to tell Geodude to knock him back with Hidden Power, but before the words even left Jet's lips, Geodude executed the attack.

Jet felt it as Geodude pulled his energy outward into a fully-fledged Hidden Power attack. Machop was knocked back a couple of meters, and Geodude felt a quick sigh of relief, replaced by the urge to pound his opponent into a pulp. Jet's heart started beating extra fast as he realized that he wasn't just guessing what his Pokémon was feeling, he _knew_ what it was thinking. Somehow, the Jet's mental connection to Kadabra must have extended itself to Geodude as well!

Jet had heard of some trainers gaining extrasensory abilities by intense training with their psychic Pokémon, but this occurrence was extremely rare. No one knows exactly how it happens, and many researchers have denied it even occurs at all. They have argued that these powers belonged to the psychic Pokémon themselves, and not the trainer. But here Jet was, somehow mentally communicating with his Geodude! Or was he?

_Boulder, can you hear me?_ Jet's heart pounded as he sensed his Pokémon's confusion over hearing Jet's voice in his head. Jet's headache got stronger, but he ignored it. _Boulder, it's me, Jet! I'll explain later, but if you can hear me, then use Magnitude!_ Jet bated his breath and wondered if it had worked or if all of this was in his head. He didn't have to wait long, however; Geodude pounded the ground next to his opponent and used Magnitude.

The cage shook. Jet felt himself bounce up and land on the mat as Magnitude took effect. Luckily, the floor of the ring was padded down, so the attack only knocked everyone in the air; it didn't cause any physical harm. It did, however, prove that Jet _did_ have a mental connection to Geodude. It also made his headache even worse.

_Ok, Boulder, ugh! It seems I can communicate with you like I do Neo! He must have done something to me! It hurts like hell, but it may be useful! I'm going to give you directions, just roll with it! _Geodude was confused as to how Jet was communicating with him, but accepted it as he continuously dodged his opponents blows. _Ok then, boy, here we go!_

Geodude grabbed his opponents arm as he went in for a Mega Punch, swung around his body, and elbowed Machop in the back of his neck, There was a loud, "Ohhhhh" from the crowd. _Good job on that reverse elbow! That was Mauy Thai you just did there! Let's try some other attacks!_

"Machop, use Low Kick!"

Machop swung its leg around to kick his opponent, but Geodude had jumped the attack already. While still in midair, Geodude grabbed his opponents head, and pulled his entire body in for a powerful Head Butt. After that it was over. Boulder dodged, countered, swung, rolled, jumped and struck with all of Jet's thoughts and all of his own might. Geodude didn't use any special attacks for the rest of the fight; he didn't need them. He simply beat the shit out of Machop with his bare hands. If Machop had been more powerful, this little experiment probably wouldn't have worked. But since Geodude was at a much higher level…

"And that's a KO! Machop is unable to battle! Geodude is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as Geodude raised his arms in triumph. Jet severed his mental connection to his Pokémon because the headache was now almost unbearable. To Jet's pleasant surprise, Geodude started evolving. His body grew bigger and more rugged, his arms got shorter, and Boulder became a Graveler.

Jet grinned despite his throbbing head, "Good job, you deserve it!"

Graver once again raised his arms in triumph before being recalled by Jet. After the match, Jet bought another water and stepped outside for some air. His head was aching ungodly; almost unbearably so. But inside he was smiling, _I'm a telepath! I don't know how I did it, I don't know what Neo did to me or even if he meant to. I can mentally communicate with my Pokémon now! Sure, I can't do it all the time. My brain just can't take the strain. This may come in handy in a tight spot, though. I can't let anyone know,_ he thought to himself as he took another sip of water, _Just my Pokémon. This will be our secret weapon! If I can learn how all of my Pokémon do their attacks with their minds, I won't even need TM's! I could just use my brain to imprint the attacks! Well, in theory anyway._

_Still, that theory may be grounded in fact. I already taught Boulder some pretty decent close combat techniques. Maybe I can use this new power to teach special techniques as well? If I trained and developed this power, how far could it go? Certainly I'll never be as powerful as Neo, but maybe I could become powerful in my own right! Holy shit, I'm a fucking Psychic! God my head hurts!_

Jet waited outside for a while to let his head calm down. The water and the night air definitely helped. After his headache calmed down, Jet went back into the club to sign up for another match. After signing up he joined the crowd and watched as AJ's Beedrill made short work of a Spearow. Unfortunately, the music and cheers were making his head hurt again. Jet decided that he would hold off on the telepathy for his next battle. He wanted to practice his new abilities, but it was not the time for that. Not when Linkin Park's _Papercut _was playing over the speakers full blast.

Jet didn't have to wait long for his next match. After only fifteen minutes of having his head basically raped via rock and roll, Jet was called to the cage to go against AJ "The Savage" Thompson, as he was apparently called. Jet winced as the crowd cheered. AJ asked, "You ok, kid? You look pretty shaken up?" AJ spoke with an American Southern accent.

"Headache," Jet grimaced, "It won't affect our battle, though."

"Well hell, I should certainly hope not! I've been waiting to battle you! Word around the club is, you're unbeatable!"

"Really?" Jet asked, "What a coinky-dink, I heard the same about you! I'm glad they set us up together."

AJ grinned, "Yeah well, you'll make my ninety-eighth straight win! So let's get started shall we?"

The editor gave his little spill and started the match. Jet started by sending out his Scyther. AJ's Pokémon of choice, a Sandshrew. AJ immediately cracked his whip twice and yelled, "Rollout!"

Jet told Scyther, "In the air, girl! Don't let it hit you!"

Scyther quickly began to hover a few feet off the ground. AJ cracked his whip toward the ceiling and Sandshrew jumped at Scyther. The little ground type crashed into Scyther, hard. Jet yelled, "Go on the offensive, use Fury Cutter!"

_That Sandshrew must be able to tell the difference on whether AJ cracks his whip against the ground or in the air! That's how he knew to jump mid rollout!_ Scyther attempted to hit Sandshrew with Fury Cutter but failed. Sandshrew just moved too fast. It gained more and more speed as it rolled on, to the point where Scyther was forced on the defensive. It was like she was battling Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Mantis, use Hidden Power when it comes to you!"

Normally, this tactic has always worked for Jet. The Hidden Power would knock the opponent back and disrupt the Rollout, allowing for Jet's Pokémon to counter. This was no ordinary Sandshrew, however. As soon as Scyther started glowing, Sandshrew crashed into her from the back. She was propelled forward and crashed into the cage wall so hard, her head got stuck between the bars.

AJ cracked his whip twice, and Sandshrew went in for another attack. Jet desperately thought, _Quick, kick off the gate and fly to the top of the cage! _His head throbbed as he sent Scyther a mental image of his idea, but it worked. At the last minute, Scyther put her feet against the cage wall and kicked. Her head popped right out and she fell backwards, dodging Sandshrew's attack. Sandshrew had gained such momentum, however, it shot straight through the bars of the cage and over the heads of the crowd.

The editor told AJ, "Get your Pokémon back in the cage!"

AJ who was in shock at first, nodded and cracked his whip twice. As Sandshrew ran towards the cage, Jet sent Scyther another mental command, _Use Bug Buzz as soon as the match starts again!_

Scyther looked at Jet in surprise. He quickly explained his telepathy via mental link. He thanked god it was so fast to communicate this way, because Scyther immediately started vibrating as she prepared to attack without a second thought over Jet's new ability. Jet could feel it; she just wanted this little fucker taken care of before explanations. Once Sandshrew crawled back through the hole it shot out of, it immediately attempted to use Rollout again.

Scyther stopped Sandshrew in its tracks, however, by sending out a powerful sound wave via Bug Buzz. The attack knocked Sandshrew back. Jet sad, "Now follow up with Slash!" AJ yelled, "Bounce!" and cracked his whip twice. Scyther flew in for the attack, but Sandshrew bounced off the ground and rolled into a ball. Jet's heart skipped a beat as he yelled, "No! Mantis, move!"

He should have sent a mental command, however, because by time Jet shouted it was too late. With an incredible display of speed, Sandshrew used the type effective Bounce against Scyther and slammed right on her head. Sandshrew landed gracefully, while Scyther dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Scyther is unable to battle, Sandshrew is the winner!"

The crowd cheered. Jet winced as his head throbbed harder than ever. He recalled his fallen Scyther and sighed, _I should've just used my telepathy. But my head was hurting so god damn bad._ Jet shook AJ's hand and asked, "Let me buy you a drink? I'd love to hear how you trained your Sandshrew. To move faster than my Scyther like that! It must be at a pretty high level."

AJ smiled and said, "Sorry, friend, but I don't reveal my training secrets to anyone! You were pretty good, though. It's been a while since anyone could keep up with my Sandshrew!"

_Ah well,_ Jet thought as he left, _I can understand having training secrets. That Sandshrew must be at an extremely high level, that's how it moved so fast. He must've trained it for speed, like I do all my Pokémon. But to be able to out run my Scyther?_

Jet put his helmet on and leaned his head back as it throbbed some more. _It wasn't moving that fast through the whole fight. It got faster as the fight moved on. I thought it was just the momentum from Rollout, but now I've got a different theory._

_He's obviously trained his Pokémon in such a way that he'd be able to use as little verbal commands as possible. This way he'd be able to get the one up on his opponents. Maybe he trained his Pokémon to use Agility during regular intervals of the fight? That _would_ explain the speed increase. But to have that much control while accelerating? He's obviously trained them well._

_Maybe I should try teaching my Pokémon to use Agility during regular intervals as well. Even if that's _not_ how his Pokémon move so fast, it's still a good idea. If I condition them over time, they will be untouchable! I can't do it before my Gym battle the day after tomorrow, but I'll have to remember that next time I go training. Besides, I should give everyone a break before the big match._

Jet turned on his bike and sighed as he realized how much his head was going to hurt on the way back to his room. "Fucking headaches. Still, thank god for telepathy."

**Author's Notes:**

**So yeah, that's my version of AJ. In case you were wondering, Neo didn't **_**give**_** Jet psychic powers, necessarily. A Pokémon can't give a human powers. This will be explained in the story later, but Neo only accidently helped train Jet to use abilities he already had. The whole Telepathy thing won't be used that often, but I just wanted you guys to know he could do it. I've always planned for Jet learn telepathy from either a Kadabra or a Drowzee. It will take a while for him to get used to the ability.**

**But anyway, I got asked in a review to clarify the star system, (one star least dangerous, five star most dangerous). The way it works is a Pokémon is rated by how much of a threat it poses. A five star Gyarados could potentially sink a naval ship, whereas a one star Pidgey could take out a kid's eye if it gets too rowdy.**

**Size may play a factor, but it's not the only factor. To answer your question:**

**Steelix 5**

**Charizard 5**

**Nidoking/Nidoqueen 4**

**This isn't always true, but usually the first form, (Ex Charmander) is a 1 or a 2.**

**Second (Ex Charmeleon) 3 or 4**

**Final (Ex Charizard) 5**

**There are a lot of exceptions, like Clefable (2) or Kakuna (1) or Onix (4)**

**I;m not going to list every Pokémon's rating, because I'm a lazy mofo, but I hope you get the general idea. Remember, this is just an average. Just because Onix are generally more dangerous than Charmander, doesn't mean a lone Charmander can't go above and beyond and hand an Onix his ass on a silver platter (see chapter 22).**

**Anyways,**

**Machop Lvl 19**

**Jet's Graveler Lvl 30**

**Jet's Scyther Lvl 30**

**AJ's Sandshrew Lvl 41**

**AJ's Beedrill Lvl 26**

**Magnimite Lvl 13**

**Don't forget to review!**


	47. The Big Man

**Author's Notes:**

**Just got a new computer and bought Microsoft office for it, so I can start writing again. Still a little pissed that I won't have any of my old files anymore, but that's neither here nor there. Heard about the new Pokémon games coming out on the 3ds; can't fucking wait! Is it just me though, or does every male trainer past gen 2 look gay? **

**The scarves and beanies, the weird hair styles, the ugs and triangle sunglasses. How do these character models make it past the focus groups? Is that kind of shit considered "cool" by today's youth? Maybe I'm old fashioned, but for once it would be nice if the main hero I play with didn't look like a douche bag. Half the time nowaday's I pick the female.**

**Actually, the kid from black and white wasn't bad. The sequel though, dear god! But never mind all that. The following is not so much a chapter, as it is a transition.**

The Big Man

"The boss is expecting you. His office is on the twelfth floor. Just head straight up."

Both Jessie and James were nervous as hell; it was the first time either of them had been called up to see the boss in person. Neither was told why the big man wanted them, but they were sure it couldn't be good.

"Maybe he wants to promote us," James said in undertone to Jessie as they walked into the elevator.

"Why would he promote us, James?" Jessie responded disbelievingly, "Especially after what happened last month!"

"Well why would he punish us in person?" James asked nervously.

Jessie took a deep breath, "I don't know, we haven't done anything wrong lately, have we?"

All too quickly, the elevator stopped on the twelfth floor and opened its doors. However, whether Jessie and James were walking into new opportunities or their impending doom, they were unsure. Soon they arrived at the Big Man's office, at which point his secretary nodded hello and said "Go right in."

Apprehensively the pair walked forward into the unknown, and found themselves in an expensive looking office with a high rise view of Celadon City. Already in the office were two men in rather expensive looking suits having a heated discussion. One of which was the pair's handler; Sal. That meant the other was none other than the Big Man himself.

Sal smiled when they came in and said, "It's about time! Don't you two know that if you're on time you're late and if you're early you're on time? What the hell is the matter with you?"

Both Jessie and James looked at each other nervously. Sal laughed and said, "I'm busting your balls. Stop standing in the door way like a couple of retards and come in so I can introduce you to the Big Man. Boss," Sal now addressed the Big Man himself, "These two are Jessie and James. They're the ones I've been telling you about."

The Big Man smiled, "Yeah, I know who they are. Sit down you two." Jesse and James both said simultaneously, "Yes, sir!" and did as they were told. Sal looked over at the Big Man and they both smiled at each other as though they were having a private joke.

Sal was a balding man in his late forties. He dressed in a tailor made suit without a tie. The first couple of buttons on his shirt were undone in order to reveal the gold crucifix he wore around his neck. The Big Man was around the same age as Sal. The half Sicilian, half Japanese mogul wore a Gucci suit, (complete with tie), and a gold Rolex.

"Do you know why I had Sal call you here?" he asked.

Both Jessie and James looked at each other. James answered first, "No sir, we weren't told-" James stopped when the boss held up a newspaper and pointed at the picture on the front, "Do you know this kid?"

"Yes." This time it was Jessie that answered, "He's the one responsible for the fiasco with our operation at Mt. Moon!" She added heatedly, "That little brat caused-"

Sal interrupted her, "We know what he did, Jessie."

The boss spoke again, "Do either of you two read the paper?"

Jessie and James looked at each other.

"Why do you two keep looking at each other?" The boss asked, "You gonna fuck or something? These are not hard questions. Are you aware that this kid was on the SS Anne a couple weeks ago during a major operation of ours?"

"No sir," James answered, "I heard about it, but I didn't know the details."

The boss smirked and said, "Maybe you two knuckleheads should start reading the papers, eh?"

"Did he die?" Jessie asked hopefully, "On the ship, I mean?"

The boss turned to Jessie and said with a look of grave seriousness, "No he did not. In fact, he stayed on the ship while all of the passengers were being evacuated and fought alongside of Lance Delohov: you know who that is, right?"

"The champion?" James asked, surprised.

"Yes, wise ass," Sal responded, "The champion. The one that that tore through almost all of our operatives on that mission with that kid and lost us over a million dollars. Lot of expensive Pokémon were used in that operation, and now all of them are dead."

The boss added, "And that isn't including the Pokémon we would have lifted from the trainers there had it not been for Mr. Delohov and Mr. Brown."

"Mr. Brown?" asked Jessie.

Sal huffed and said, "The kid, try to keep up, sweetheart."

"Now I want to know," the boss continued, "what you know about the kid. Delahov will have his day soon enough, but the kid… What do you know about Jethro Brown?"

"He's nothing." Jessie said dismissively, "He only got the upper hand on us because the Pokémon we were using for that operation were all weak."

"What kind of Pokémon did he use?" Sal asked.

"A Charmeleon," Jessie answered, "a strong one."

The boss looked annoyed, "Was that _all_?"

"No," James said quickly, "He used a Pikachu too!"

"A Pikachu?" Sal repeated in a condescending tone, "You had a team of Sandshrew and you were defeated by a Charmeleon and a Pikachu? Two Pokémon which, moreover, are weak against ground types?"

Jessie jumped in defensively, "That's not all! There was an Ivysaur there too! And a bunch of others!"

"What others?" The boss asked impatiently.

Jessie hesitated and said, "I don't really remember."

James cut in, "There was a Magikarp!"

Jessie looked at him irritated. How incompetent would they look in front of the boss if he knew they'd loss to a Magikarp.

Sal sneered at them, "A _Magikarp_? Are you _serious_?"

The boss, however, asked, "Magikarp? Did he use it in battle?"

James nodded, "Yes sir! It could fight too! I remember it because I found it strange that such a Pokémon could keep up with a Raticate."

Sal frowned, "What do you mean a Magikarp kept up with a Raticate?"

Jessie sighed, "He means the Magikarp won."

Sal looked confused. Jessie and James went silent. The boss however, started laughing. When Sal looked at the boss with surprise, he simply pointed to the article.

"Do you know how that kid escaped the ship after it sank?" the boss asked. When no one answered, he did for them, "On the back of a Gyarados. Now, there were a bunch of wild Gyarados attacking survivors of the robbery, so I thought the kid somehow caught one of them. Now you are telling me the kid fought you with a Magikarp and won?"

"You think the kid evolved a Magikarp?" Sal asked, in mild shock.

The boss nodded, "As a matter of fact, I do. I think this is no ordinary kid. I certainly don't think he's a nobody. Any time you fuck around with this much of my money, you aren't a fucking nobody. And that's for damn sure."

There was a pause and a few moments of silence. Then the boss spoke again, "Which leads me to why you two are here. I want this kid brought to me. I want him brought alive. I don't care how you do it, just bring me Jethro Brown."

**Author's Notes:**

**I don't really see this as a chapter so much as I see it as a quick transition. It's been a while since I last updated and since I got a new computer and what not, I figured I'd push something out right away. I have to basically rewrite Jet's battle with Surge because I lost all my old files. That could take a couple of days. Maybe longer because I got patrols to do and shit. I'll try to update soon though. Sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long.**


	48. Rematch

Rematch

Jet sat in a chair waiting for Lt Surge's wife to finish the paperwork for his bet. He twiddled his thumbs impatiently; anxious to just get this damn match over with already. He could not sleep the previous night, nor could he think of anything else save the battle at hand. He _had_ to win this one. He _needed_ this victory to prove to himself that all of his hard work was not in vein.

The last time he fought Surge he was ill prepared. His mind was not in the right place and he made the novice mistake of thinking that type, and type alone, could be the deciding factor of a match. _Not this time! You won't get me out of here that easily!_

Mrs. Surgio broke the silence, "Ok, honey, you are all done! My husband gave you twelve to one odds, so if you win this match then you will pretty much bankrupt us." She said almost sourly, "Honestly, why that man gambles that much money over a match, I haven't the foggiest."

Jet frowned, "Twelve to one? He certainly is sure of himself."

She smiled at Jet and said, "Well no offense, kid, but last time you were here you weren't exactly a contender. Are you sure you want to bet this much money on the match? Five grand for a kid your age-"

"Thank you for your concern ma'am, but I can more than cover it." Jet said dismissively.

"Ok," she responded in a 'I-can't-wait-to-say-I-told-you-so' tone, "But you trainers are pretty careless with money if you ask me."

Jet let out a little laugh, "Can't argue with you there. So, do I just go out to the main floor and wait?"

She nodded, "Mhm. Knowing George, he'll probably start the match early anyway."

Jet thanked her and grabbed his paper work. He was nervous as hell walking onto the drill floor. If he won this match, that would mean a sixty thousand dollar pay day. If the nothing else was motivation to win the match, that certainly was. The bleachers were filled with people, many of them booing when he walked onto the floor. Lt Surge walked up to him and chuckled, "They remember that last ass whipping! Hopefully you'll put on a better show today! Not that it will matter."

Jet found his heart beating faster than ever as the crowd booed him. Then he noticed the cameras, "Is this being televised?!"

Surge looked over at the camera and said, "Oh yeah, I forgot they were here." He looked at the horrified look on Jet's face and laughed, "It's not going to be live, kid! They're probably just going to show the highlights on the evening news. Happens all the time. Here, come with me outside for a moment."

Jet followed Lt Surge as the crowd continued to boo him. He felt himself humiliated, _Had he really been that bad during his last match?_ When they got outside the Gym, Surge pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Jet, "You smoke Junior?"

Jet shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, "If they're all so sure that this match is going to end up like the last one, then why show up and bother watching?"

Surge chuckled again, "You kidding me, guy? This is the best sports entertainment these people get! You watch sports kid?"

"No."

Surge shrugged and said, "I figured not." He then blew out some smoke and continued, "Well, if you _did_ watch sports then you'd know that every team this city has fucking sucks. It pains me to say it but it's true."

Surge took another puff and pointed at his Gym, "This Gym, _my _battles, are the only sports events these people got to be proud of. People come from all over the region to challenge my Gym! There's Koga, Sabrina, Blain, and then there's me. Of all the so called Gyms in this region, we are the only Gym leaders worth watching on the tube after your local weather.

"Those chicks at Cerulean, that kid in Pewter, they're _jokes_. Bring any of them in here, they wouldn't last two seconds. _I_ bring the crowds, kid. But you know what?" He smiled and pointed at Jet, "You've been busy, haven't you? I heard you've been making a killing down at that two bit battle club, Faust."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "Needed the money."

Surge laughed, "Yeah, my trainers have been talking about you. Fighting in cage matches, winning," he raised his eyebrows as he added, "and that thing with the cruise ship?"

Jet looked up at Surge and said, "My memory of that is still a little hazy."

Surge took another puff and smiled, "Yeah, well, I don't know the details. But I _do_ know that by fighting Team Rocket with the champ, you're making a bit of a name for yourself. A lot of people are showing up today to see if the rumors are true. To see if you're some kind of fucking prodigy.

"Personally, I don't give a flying fuck how good you or anyone else think you are, I know what they don't; you got no experience! You can't win. Not against me. And it ain't necessarily because you're bad or because your Pokémon are bad. It's because you're green as grass." Surge put out his cigarette. Jet laughed. Surge smirked and asked, "The fuck is so funny, kid?"

Jet grinned and said, "I don't know why I was so worried about what all those people thought. I just now realized; I don't give to shits about what any of you think about me either!"

Surge's smile faded, "That a fact?"

"Oh yeah," Jet smirked, "That's a fact. But you know what? I'm through talking. I could build myself up all day, but I'd rather just show you. Let's get this shit started, shall we?"

Surge smirked and said, "You got some stones, kid. But I agree. Enough of this chit chat. Come on inside and we'll start the match."

Five minutes later, the editor begun his announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the match between Lt Surge and challenger Brown is about to begin. This will be an all-out six on six match in which both trainers may switch out their Pokémon at any time during the match. However, both trainers will only be able to switch a total of three times. After these three switches are used up, then recalling a Pokémon will count as a forfeit for that round.

"Both trainers may call for a time out at any time. When all six Pokémon on one side are either unable or unwilling to battle, then the other side will be declared victor. Do both parties agree to these terms?"

Surge yelled to the editor, "Yeah, I agree."

Jet simply nodded and called, "Ready when you are, Lt."

The editor nodded and said, "Then may the challenger send out his first Pokémon!"

Jet took a deep breath and sent out Boulder. Surge smirked when he saw Jet's Graveler. "So you evolved that Geodude of yours, huh? I think it's time for a little reunion! Go Raichu!"

Both Pokémon were now on the field. Graveler looked at his opponent apprehensively as the electric Pokémon whipped its tail against the ground in a threatening manner. Graveler remembered what happened last time, and hoped that Jet knew what he was doing this time. His trainer had done a good job in making Graveler more powerful, but if this match ended anything like the last one then their bond would never be the same. _I'm trusting you._ Graveler thought.

"Aaand, BEGIN!"

"Raichu, finish him quickly with Iron Tail!"

Raichu pounced at its opponent, tail emitting a metallic glow. At what seemed like the very last second, Jet yelled, "Counter!"

Graveler rolled out the way of the attack, but just enough for the tail to miss. He then rolled on top of Raichu's tail and pulled the enemy in using all four of his arms.

"Raichu, throw him off you!"

Raichu attempted to buck Graver off, but he had already gotten a hold. Graveler used his small arms to keep Raichu's tail pinned to his body. He then used his long arms to put Raichu in a powerful rear-naked-choke while using his legs to hook into Raichu's thighs, securing his position. Raichu tried to buck but fell to the ground. The he could no longer move due to the force of the choke.

"Raichu, tuck your chin into the pocket of Graveler's arm! Hang in there and try to get out of the choke!"

Raichu tucked his chin as instructed, which protected him from being choked out. He could not, however, escape as Graveler squeezed even harder. Raichu tried shocking his opponent, but to no avail. It was only a matter of time before he would be knocked out.

"Keep squeezing!" Jet called, "Take that little fucker out!"

Graveler roared and squeezed with all of his might. Lt Surge quickly recalled his Raichu, using up one of his three switches.

Jet laughed as the crowd whispered excitedly. He had Graveler practice that move on his Pikachu when he was still a Geodude. The rolling counter he used to pin the tail was drilled into until he was sick of the attack. Still, one could not argue with the results; Graveler could now completely nullify Raichu's Iron Tail.

"Using a rear-naked-choke in a Pokémon battle huh? That's new." Lt Surge was not smiling. "Nice trick kid, I'll give you that, but it won't help much here. Go, Beartic!"

Surge sent out a very intimidating polar bear looking Pokémon. Jet was not expecting a strong ice type, but he wasn't about to recall Graveler just yet. "Boulder, use Magnitude!"

"Jump and use Icicle Crash!"

Beartic jumped Graveler's seismic attack and struck down with an ice-blade that she materialized. Graveler however, rolled out the way just in time.

"Use Ember!"

"Hit him with Brick Break!"

Beartic charged in for the attack, but was engulfed in a torrent of flames that interrupted her attack. Jet took advantage and yelled, "Ok, now hit it with Rollout Boulder!"

Graveler got to work on using his favorite move. Soon he was gaining momentum as he struck his opponent once, then twice, then three times. Beartic was trying to interrupt Graveler's attack using Powder Snow, but Graveler was gaining too much speed to be hit by the slow attack.

"Keep it up, Bloulder, You're doing great, boy!"

Surge yelled to Beartic, "Strike him down with Ice Beam!"

Ice Beam, which was much quicker than Powder Snow, did just what Surge intended, Not only did it knock him back, but it stopped his rollout attack in its tracks.

"Repeat Fire!"

Beartic shot a second Ice Beam at Graveler, but Jet recalled his Pokémon before the attack could hit. Jet smiled to himself; he would have preferred it if Boulder had finished Beartic, but it wasn't as if he didn't have someone better for the job. "Go Thorn!"

Surge did not look happy, but the crowd was eating this match up. It was obviously a lot better than they thought it'd be. Surge wasted no time at all, "Use Dig, Beartic!"

She roared and went underground. Jet laughed and said, "Thorn, Dig."

Thorn shot beneath the ground after Beartic. It did not take long for them to meet beneath the ground; the Gym itself began to shake as the ground cracked and Beartic released a mighty roar. There was another violent shake, and Beartic burst from the ground in an attempt to escape her opponent. Her attempt did not work, however, as she was being pulled back beneath the earth. Jet laughed as Beartic cried out in fear and clawed the ground in an attempt to escape. But Thorn must have persisted, because she was soon dragged below.

Lt Surge yelled in panic, "Quickly, use Surf to flood the tunnel!"

All of a sudden, there was a loud BANG as blue flames shot out of one of the holes in the ground. There was a loud roar and another bang. Then, all was silent. Thorn burst forth from the tunnel and shot a roar of blue flames from his maul. Jet asked Thorn, "Where's Beartic?"

Lt Surge yelled Beartic's name but received no answer. Thorn jumped back down the hole and emerged seconds later pulling the ice Pokémon by the nape of its neck. It did not move when placed on the ground.

"Beartic is unable to battle, Charmeleon is the winner!"

The crowd cheered for Thorn; all animosity for Jet for his past performance forgotten. Thorn shot more flames into the air for his victory. Jet grinned and called to his Charmeleon, "Showoff!"

Lt Surge let out a cry of disgust when he realized his Pokémon could not be returned. This almost certainly meant that it was dead. The editor announced as Surge ran to his fallen Pokémon, "Ladies and Gentleman, the match will be put on hold for now until we can assess the state of Beartic!"

Medics that were on standby for the match ran to the field to check up on Beartic. Jet went to join them, but Thorn held out his arm and shook his head. Jet asked Thorn, "Did you mean to kill Beartic?"

Thorn tapped his head with one of his claws. Jet nodded and bent down. He placed his hands on either side of Thorn's head and tried to make mental contact with him. His head instantly began to ache, but Thorn gave Jet his memory of the battle.

_After going underground to meet Beartic, he quickly found her and used Ember to burn her face. She used Rock Slide to cave in the tunnel, so Thorn quickly charged her to avoid the attack and stay on the offensive. From there, Thorn used multiple Fire Fangs which caused Beartic to try and escape._

_Thorn wanted to keep the match below the ground, however, because it gave him an advantage due to their size difference. He used Fire Fang to grab her leg and pull her back down the tunnel, ripping the flesh from her leg. After Surge ordered his Pokémon to flood the tunnel, Thorn shot his opponent with multiple Flame Bursts and used Fire Fang on her neck in the heat of the moment. He ripped her throat out, though unintentionally._

Thorn did not regret this, however, and Jet could sense that Thorn now wanted to eat his fallen opponent. Apparently, she tasted good. A little surprised by his Pokémon's hunger, Jet told Thorn, "I'll take you hunting soon after this. For now though, I think it's best if I recall you."

Thorn nodded and waited as Jet recalled his Pokémon. Soon after, Lt Surge's Beartic was pronounced dead. Surge angrily yelled to Jet, "You fucking prick! I'll kill you for this!"

One of the medics tried to hold Surge back and the editor asked, "Sir, the match! If you attack the challenger you will be disqualified!"

Surge calmed down and said, tearfully, "There is no match! To continue to battle when I can still save my Beartic would be unethical! Grab some bandages and supplies! Get me the defibulator! And get that fucking kid out of my Gym! "

**Author's Notes:**

**Had to rewrite this whole chapter. It is shorter than the original, but I like this one better.**

**Jet's Team:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn – Lvl. 36 Male**

**Gyarados/Hydra – Lvl.33 Female**

**Pikachu/Spark – Lvl. 32 Male**

**Kadabra/Neo – Lvl. 32 Male**

**Graveler/Boulder – Lvl. 30 Male**

**Scyther/Mantis – Lvl. 30 Female**

**Lt Surge's Team:**

**Raichu – Lvl.43 Male**

**Beartic – Lvl.37 Female (Deceased)**

**Magnezone – Lvl.44**

**Heatmor – Lvl.39 Female**

**Steelix – Lvl. 50 Male**

**Toxicroak – Lvl.41 Male**


	49. Leaving Vermilion

**Author's Notes:**

**It was mentioned in a review that it was strange Lt Surge would use an Ice type Pokémon. He favors electric type, and most of his Pokémon are electric type, but that doesn't mean he can't branch out. Even Brock had some diversity in his line-up. Don't expect all the Gym Leaders to strictly stick to one type like Misty. Besides, it makes the matches more interesting!**

Leaving Vermilion

Jet waited impatiently as Surge's lawyer piled his winnings on the table. After the chaotic match between Jet and Lt Surge, the former was unceremoniously thrown out of the Gym and told to leave the premises. After three days of arguing over the phone, many tears from Mrs. Surgio, and the threat of legal action on Jet's part, the Lieutenant finally agreed to meet with Jet along with his lawyer.

Jet did not bring legal representation to the meeting, as there was no need. "I understand things did not go as planned during our match, and that was regrettable," Jet began, "but that was an official league Gym challenge. The terms of the match were agreed upon by both parties before the battle begun. _You_ chose to end the battle before it was finished. That was _your_ forfeit, not mine."

Surge angrily retorted, "I cancelled the match due to my Beartic's injuries; that was not a forfeit! I don't owe you squat!"

Surge's lawyer added, "Except, of course, your down payment for the challenge. It will be repaid in full."

Surge nodded, "Yeah, there is that."

Jet shook his head, "Your lawyer isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the box, is he? What kind of law do you practice? You can't cancel a match once it has been started unless agreed upon by both parties; especially a league gym challenge!"

Surge's lawyer said in an affronted tone, "That's preposterous! As Gym leader, my client reserves the right-"

Jet pulled a folder from his bag while the lawyer talked about his client's rights. Jet then pulled a paper from said folder and placed it in front of the two men, "Read it."

Both Surge and his lawyer looked down at the document in front of them while Jet spoke, "I can do research too. To summarize, unless both parties agree to post-pone or cancel a battle, if one party was to end the match before it is decided by the agreed upon terms prior to the battle then it counts as a forfeit."

Jet leaned forward and said forcefully, "I did not agree to cancel the match, or post-pone it. You forfeited! Now either pay me what I'm due, or I will be forced to inform the League of your failure to cooperate. Do either of you two ass-clowns know what the penalty for not paying the victor his due winnings are? Anybody? Top of your heads?"

The lawyer looked nervously at his boss, who simply glared at Jet with pure hatred. Jet glared right back and continued, "Suspension of your trainer's license, confiscation of _all _your Pokémon, and loss of training privileges until the sum is paid in full. Now," Jet sat up straight and said in a threatening manner, "we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way! Either way, I _will_ get paid. I _will_ get that badge. And I _will_ be named victor."

There were a few moments of silence. Then, Surge turned to his Lawyer and said, "Go to my wife. Tell her to write the kid a check. Tell her to get him a badge and one of the TM's for Spark. Be quick about it."

When Surge's lawyer left, Surge stood up, "You know, I had that Beartic for over four years now. Got her when she was only a Cubchoo; anniversary present from the Mrs."

Jet didn't say anything, so Surge continued, "Puny little thing, it was. Never used her in Gym battles. The wife's thinking was that it would help against any rock or dragon types anyone tried to use against me. Took a long time to train her to evolve. Got her at level twenty five, I think." Surge smiled to himself when he said, "I was so proud when she evolved last month."

Jet stood up too and said, "I really am sorry for your loss, Lieutenant."

Surge looked over at Jet and said, "She survived. The defibulator worked. She'll never battle again, though. Severe trauma; can't even walk."

Jet said nothing. Surge continued, "You got skill. There is no denying that. When I read in the paper about you being a ruthless trainer, I thought it laughable. But then I battled you in a real match."

Surge moved closer to Jet and said in a quiet voice, "You shouldn't be allowed to train Pokémon. Those monsters of yours are as vicious as wild beasts, just trained to fight better. If I could, I would take away your license and lock you up. A path of death awaits you kid."

Jet felt his heart sink upon this statement, though he could not explain why. "You don't know a damn thing about me! So full of yourself! You really think you're better than me don't you?"

Surge drew himself up to full height and said, "Yeah, I really do."

Jet shook his head, "You're just deluding yourself."

The door opened and the Lawyer came in. He handed Jet's winnings to Surge, who then turned to Jet.

"As Leader of the Vermillion City Pokémon Gym, I hereby award you with the Thunder Badge. This badge is proof of your victory here. You have also earned this TM for Spark. It is a medium power Physical attack that uses electricity to paralyze your opponent. And finally, this check has been earned by defying the odds of my Gym and proving yourself victorious." Surge spoke in a monotone voice as if he was reading from a script. After handing Jet his prizes, Surge then sighed and said, "Now get out of my face, and pray we never meet again."

**XXX**

The next day Jet woke up early so he could leave Vermilion far behind him. After packing his bag, showering, and getting dressed, he headed downstairs to check out. The plan was to head back to Cerulean and see Misty again. From there, he really had no idea where he wanted to go but was leaning towards Chestnut. _Maybe I should go home after Cerulean,_ he thought to himself, _at least until after winter._

Upon entering the lobby, Jet noticed two very familiar faces walk through the front door. He stopped dead as he realized that those two familiar faces were Jessie and James from Mt Moon. His heart began to beat extremely fast. Why were they here? They couldn't be looking for him, could they? After all, his face was plastered all over the papers a week ago, they could have easily deduced where he'd be staying. But why now? Would they try anything?

_Maybe they just came to buy supplies or heal their Pokémon? _It then occurred to Jet that there Pokémon were probably stolen from some trainer. Jet thought back to the incident at Mt Moon and then again to when his Pikachu was shot. Suddenly, all he could feel was anger and hatred toward the pair that just walked through the door, _They should not be allowed to walk around freely!_ As the pair approached the reception desk, Jet decided he was going to find out exactly what they were up to.

He walked up to the reception desk behind them. James was already talking to the receptionist, "If you could just tell us what room he's in it would be a great help."

"Well, I can't tell you that but I could call his room and tell him to come down."

Both of the Rockets looked at each other, and Jessie said, "Actually, it's more of a surprise thing."

_So they are looking for me!_ Jet thought to himself. The very thought pissed him off even more, "Surprise for who?"

Both of the Rockets quickly turned around at the sound of Jet's voice. Jet smirked, "Well if it isn't Jessie and- your name is James right?"

"Uhh…" James began; Jessie simply leered at Jet with a look of pure contempt.

"You know," Jet began with the air of trying to start a polite conversation, "usually I'm pretty bad with names and faces. I have to meet someone a few times before I can recognize them." Jet then added in a more serious tone, "Not you two though! You made a hell of an impression."

Jessie gritted her teeth, "That so?"

Jet took a step closer to her, "It is. Hell," he added with a grin, "I'd be able to pick the pair of you out in a police lineup any day!"

James looked nervously at Jessie. The receptionist, slightly confused, asked James, "Umm, is everything ok, sir?"

"Yes, ever-" James began, but Jet spoke over him, "Just catching up, that's all. By the way miss, I'd like to check out of my room, please."

The receptionist looked up at Jet in surprise, "Oh… Yes, of course! Name please?"

Jet walked past Jessie and James to check out with the receptionist. James turned to Jessie and said in a low voice, "What now? We can't exactly put a gun to his head in a crowded lobby!"

Jessie whispered back, "That's what he's counting on, the cocky little shit! We have to get him outside without drawing attention to ourselves!"

"How the hell do we do that?" James whispered angrily, "I don't exactly see him coming with us willingly!"

"Ok, thank you for staying with us," the receptionist smiled at Jet, "We hope we see you again!"

"Thanks," said Jet while putting his trainer card away in his wallet. He then turned to Jessie and said, "So, I'm curious; exactly how _did_ you two get out of Mt Moon?"

Jessie put on a fake smile and said, "You know what? How about you step outside with us and we'll tell you all about it!"

Jet however, acted as if he didn't hear her, "Because I remember the place being surrounded by cops. Weren't you naked? How did no one notice you?"

Jessie suddenly lunged at Jet, but was held back by James, "Calm the fuck down!"

People all around the lobby began to stare. Jessie paid them no attention, "I'll kill you, you little shit!"

The receptionist quickly picked up the phone and said, "I'm calling security!"

Jet turned to her and said, "You might want to call the cops too. These two are members of Team Rocket."

Jessie screamed, "Let me go James or I'll kill you too!"

"Jessie," James yelled, "We have to get out of here!"

Jet grinned and said, "Really; what was your plan anyway? Kidnap? Execution? Why are you here?"

"Jessie, come on!" James said, forcefully, "You're making a scene!"

Jessie elbowed James and said, "Let go, god damn it! I can walk myself!"

James let go of Jessie's arm. Once free, she turned to Jet and said, "I hope you're enjoying yourself, because I don't care what the boss says; I swear to god I'll kill you myself!"

Jet smirked, "Take out your gun and do it now, then. What are you waiting for?"

"Jessie!" James yelled, "Let's go!"

Jessie, however, spoke in a deadly voice, "Oh no, I'm not going to kill you now! I'm going to find your family, and kill them first! Then, I'm going to get your little red headed bitch, and slit her throat right in front of you!"

"God damn it, Jessie," said James almost pleadingly, "shut up and let's go! You're drawing attention to us!"

"You made a huge mistake, threatening my family," Jet said in a low, deadly voice, "See, before I just despised you. But now? You just made me your enemy."

Jessie laughed, "And I'm supposed to be scared of you kid? Give me a break!"

James yelled his partner's name again, "JESSIE!"

Jessie turned and saw security guards marching there way. She then looked at James and said, "Let's get out of here!"

They headed for the door without another word. Jet, however, ran in front of the door, blocking their exit. "You're not getting away that easy," Jet said, taking off his bag and throwing it aside, "You'll have to go through me!"

"Fine!" James yelled as he lunged at Jet. The security guards saw the commotion and charged in to break up the fight, but James was already on the ground; he had been closed-lined by Jet. One of the security guards looked from Jet, to James, to Jessie and asked, "What's going on here?"

Jessie pointed at Jet and yelled, "He attacked us! Grab him!"

Jet immediately put his hands in the air as a sign of surrender and said, "She's got a gun! Both of them are members of Team Rocket!"

"That's ridiculous!" James said breathlessly as he stood up from the ground. Jessie exclaimed, "You just saw him attack that poor man! Grab him!"

Jet however, said, "Call the cops! Let them sort this out! These two are wanted criminals responsible for the cave in's at Mt Moon last month!"

The security guards looked at each other in confusion. One of them, evidently the one in charge, said, "Ok, none of you three move! Don't say a word! The cops are on their way!"

Another security guard pointed at the glass door and said, "They're already here, Bob!"

And so they were. For at that very moment, an officer stepped out a squad car that had just parked in front of the Pokémon Center. Jessie watched the cop get out of his car in horror, and decided there was only one way out; make a run for it.

Leaving her partner behind, Jessie ran towards the "Personnel Only" door next to the reception desk. James yelled, "Wait for me!" And followed suit. Neither made it to the door, however, as both was tackled by the Pokémon Center Security.

"God damn it!" said Bob the security guard, "Hold those two for the police! And will someone _please_ get this damn crowd to back the fuck up! The boss is going to have my ass for this shit!"

**XXX**

Jet found himself sitting in an interrogation room, waiting to be questioned for the third time. The room was empty save four chairs, a table, a security camera, and a two way mirror.

Jet was not in handcuffs, but his bag and pokeballs were being held in another room by the police. The cops had found a couple of nine mil pistols on Jessie and James. Upon search of their car, they had found several pokeballs holding stolen Pokémon, a stack of cash in the glove compartment, and two shotguns in the trunk.

It was this evidence that made the cops believe Jet's story and kept him out of handcuffs. The only reason they still held Jet there, is because someone from DCI was coming to get a statement. Jet wanted the cops to get as much information as possible to put Jessie and James behind bars. More than ever, however, he just wanted to leave Vermilion and just get on with his life.

The door opened suddenly and Jet was surprised to see the same guy that questioned him after the sinking of SS Anne walk into the interrogation room. He sat down in front of Jet and asked, "You again, huh?"

Jet leaned back and smiled, "Yup. Me again. You're from DCI, right? Special Agent- help me out here?"

"Morales," the fed responded with a frown, "You seem a lot different from the last time we spoke."

Jet sighed, "Well, I _was_ only half conscious at the time. So how does this work? You guys have my written statement-"

Morales nodded and said, "We do. I just want to get a few details from the source itself." Morales leaned forward and asked, "Why did you approach the two suspects if you knew they were dangerous criminals?"

Jet shrugged, "I had a hunch."

"A hunch?" Morales repeated disbelievingly, "You want to explain that to me, kid?"

"_Well_," Jet started off slightly irritated, "If you read my statement then you would see that I figured they wouldn't pull a gun on me in the middle of a public place. The organization, from what I read anyway, prefers to fly under the radar. I figured their friends wouldn't like it much if they drew attention to themselves."

Morales seemed unconvinced, "But you would draw attention to yourself?"

"Well, yeah." Said Jet as though his it was only logical, "I figured they were looking for me. I could either a; hide and wait for them to find me. Or I could b; fight back."

"Mhm," Morales sat up, "And this was your idea of fighting back?"

Jet huffed, "They're in handcuffs aren't they? They're going to jail, right?"

Morales sighed, "It's not that simple, kid. These two have already had run-ins with the law. They have friends in high places. Nothing ever sticks."

"What?" Jet asked angrily, "But you found stolen Pokémon _in their car!_"

Morales let out a sarcastic laugh, "Their lawyer will say it's just circumstantial evidence!"

"You have witnesses!" Jet said standing up from his chair. "That's a little more than circumstantial! A witness testimony will stand in court!"

"Calm down, kid." Morales said dismissively, "They committed no crime in the Pokémon Center. The only thing that we _maybe_, (and that's a big maybe), could get them on is the stolen Pokémon in their vehicle."

Jet, however shook his head, "What about what happened at Mt Moon? _I_ witnessed that! My friend Amy witnessed it too! Hell, a geologist doing a study in the caves at the time was there and he saw everything! What about that!"

Morales looked as though he were thinking about what Jet just said. Jet laughed and said, "Wait a minute, wait a minute! You mean to tell me that it didn't even _occur_ to you to charge them on that? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Morales stood up angrily, "It _did_ occur to me! I just forgot you weren't the only witness in that cave! I didn't work that case!"

Jet rolled his eyes, "Whatever dude."

Morales pulled a note pad from his jacket and asked, "Could you give me the names of the other witnesses?"

Jet sat back down and sighed, "Amy Oak. She's staying in Goldenrod right now."

"What about the Geologist?"

"His name was Seymour." Jet said, rubbing his eyes.

Morales frowned, "You don't know his last name?"

Jet sucked his teeth, "He was the only person at the time of the accident that had a permit to be in those caves. Plus he filled out a witness statement after we escaped! Do some police work! That's your job right? To investigate and solve crimes?"

Morales dropped his note pad on the table, "I don't like your attitude, kid!"

Jet stood up again, "Yeah, well I don't care for you much either. We're done here."

Morales laughed, "No we're not!"

"Yes we are!" Jet said forcefully, "unless you're going to charge me we something."

Morales' smile faded into a frown. Jet walked toward the door and called back, "If you need me to testify in court, the cops have my email. Otherwise, go fuck yourself."

Jet walked out of the interrogation room and shut the door behind him, leaving Special Agent Morales standing with a blank look on his face.


	50. The Safari Zone

The Safari Zone

Brian found his heart pounding with excitement as he rode shotgun in an open top Jeep down the ol' dusty trail. In his hands, a high powered rifle with tranquilizer darts as its ammo. Ahead of him lay the whole of the Safari Zone; a reservation known for housing rare and powerful Pokémon.

It cost him five grand to get to go in for an exhibition. Once the sum was paid, he was given a rifle, tranquilizers, five 'safari-balls,' and a tour guide named Joe who was to take him to find a good haul. The only catch to it was he could only bring one Pokémon with him on the trip, as he needed room to capture some newbies.

Most people, Brian was told, chose to bring no Pokémon with them for a bigger haul. However, Brian was none to skilled with a rifle and wanted his Wartortle by his side in case things got sour.

"Probably not the best time to come 'round here!" Joe, his tour guide yelled over the roar of the wind, "Most of the really good ones are all starting to hibernate with winter coming up and all! Should have saved your money and came down here during spring! That's when all the trainers come down to catch them some good game!"

Brian laughed and yelled back, "You know how long I've wanted to come to the Safari Zone? I can't be staying in Fuchsia City and _not_ come here! I'm too impatient to wait!"

Joe chuckled and said, "Well, I like your attitude kid!"

Brian leaned over and asked, "What would you say is the best Pokémon to find here 'round this time of year?"

Joe thought about it for a second and said, "Well, all of the Kangaskhan are probably starting to hibernate. Nidorino and Nidorina are still roaming these parts. You also got Doduo, Rhyhorn, Tauros, Maro-"

"Tauros! Brian yelled excitedly, "Can you take me to find one of them?"

Joe chuckled again, "Yeah, I could find you one of them; they're easy! Always travel in herds, you see." Joe picked up the radio next to his seat and called in, "Tango tree-fower, this is Gulf niner, over."

A voice on the radio said, "Go 'head, over."

"I'm gonna need you to locate some wild bulls for me, over."

"Ok, rrroger, wait one."

Joe looked at Brian and said, "We got multiple towers up that keep track on where everything is. We'll know where that herd is soon enough."

Brian felt his excitement mount. A real Tauros! They were definitely reliable Pokémon as they usually had a good balance of speed, attack, and defense. They were also able to learn a wide variety of different techniques.

"Gulf niner, this is Tango tree-fower, over."

"Send it."

"Got those wild bulls for you, four clicks north/northwest of your position. How copy, over?"

"That's a good copy, Tango tree-fower; Gulf niner out."

Joe put down the radio and said, "Hold on, kid!" He then floored the accelerator. Brian felt himself fall backwards into his seat as the truck sped up.

It did not take long for them to find the herd of Tauros. There were at least thirty of them running alongside of a small lake. Brian and Joe were slightly above them on a hill; just two hundred meters from where they were running.

Joe stopped the Jeep and said, "Take your shot, kid. Don't worry about missing, by the way. There's so many that you'll hit at least one if you aim for the middle of the herd."

Brian nodded and got out of the Jeep. Armed with the twenty minute lesson he'd taken an hour ago on how to fire his rifle, Brian took aim. Joe sat back in his seat and said, "Take your time."

Brian took a deep breath. He focused the weapon on a Tauros from the middle of the herd. Joe said calmly, "I'd say you got about thirty seconds before they're out of range."

Brian said nothing, but pulled the trigger. He felt the weapon fire, and saw a Tauros from the back of the herd drop three seconds later. Joe laughed, "Takes a couple o' seconds for the tranq to kick in. Still, there's enough of that shit in those darts to take down an Onix; those Tauros don't stand a fucking chance. Incidentally, why did you shoot one down from the back of the herd and not the middle? Getting a little cocky with your shot, huh?"

Brian looked at his tour guide slightly confused, "I _did_ aim for the middle."

"Oh," Joe said, "Your shot was off by a lot, then. Don't worry, though; we'll get you straightened out."

Brian, however, was far from worried. He had just shot down a Tauros! Now all that was left was to catch it. "So, can we go down there now?" Brian asked, excitedly.

Joe nodded and said, "Yeah, hop in and we'll go get your new Tauros." And with that, Brian happily hopped into the vehicle. Together, they rode down the hill to pick up Brian's haul.

As Tauros was unconscious, it was unable to fight being captured. Brian registered his new Pokémon in his Pokédex and grinned at Joe, "I can't believe it's that easy out here! I'm gonna get one of these tranq-rifles after I leave!"

Joe scratched the back of his head, "Well, I don't think they sell tranquilizer this powerful to the general public. The most you'll take down with that civilian shit they sell is maybe a small two-star. And that's if you work on your aim."

Brian's smile faded a bit, "But- if I shoot something multiple times then it will eventually go down, right?"

Joe smiled, "Good point!" Then Joe noticed out in the distance that the herd of Tauros was turning back around.

"Uh oh!"

Brian turned around and saw the herd turning, "Uh oh? What's uh oh? Uh oh doesn't sound good!" Brian was starting to get nervous.

Joe said quickly, "Get in the truck, kid, quick! They must have realized we captured one of their kin!" As Joe said it he had already hopped in the driver's seat.

Making his way to the passenger side, Brian asked apprehensively, "Does that happen often?"

Joe shook his head, "Only sometimes! They must be running around looking for a fight! I for one do not feel like indulging them!"

And with that, Joe turned the vehicle around and sped away from the herd. Brian held on to the frame for dear life. The Jeep was going about forty-five mph, but the Tauros were still catching up. Joe seemed to have noticed this, because he floored the accelerator; "Hold on, kid! It's going to be a bumpy ride!"

Brian held on tighter as they sped down a hill in a frantic attempt to escape the herd of raging Tauros. On the way down the hill, a wild Psyduck waddled in front of their path. Brian cried out, but Joe showed no signs of stopping or swerving.

What happened next was so fast; Brian barely had time to process the event. Psyduck used its Telekinesis to overturn the vehicle as a defensive measure. The Jeep was lifted into the air about six feet and landed on Joe's side.

If Brian had not been wearing his seat-beat, He would've been killed. Instead, Brian's head smacked against the windshield hard enough to blur his vision. "God damn it! He yelled as he felt the seatbelt cut into his neck. When Brian's vision returned to normal, he saw that Joe had not had on his seat-belt. Joe did not survive the crash.

Brian felt his insides go numb, "Oh my God! Joe! Joe!" Brian tried to unstrap himself from his seat in such away so that he didn't land on Joe. There was blood everywhere; including dripping from Brian's own head.

Brian awkwardly climbed out of the overturned vehicle and landed on the ground. He felt his knees buckle and he keeled over; his left leg was pretty banged up. "Ah shit!" Brian cried as he felt hot blood run down his leg. He then thought back to Joe's mangled body and puked.

"Ah my fucking God!" Brian spit bile from his mouth and found that he could not stop from shaking. He had been through some crazy shit on SS Anne, but this was the first time he'd ever seen a real dead body. He found that there was a _huge_ difference in knowing that people died near you and actually _witnessing_ their death. It was almost more than Brian could bear.

He did not have time to brood on his companion's recent demise, however, as he felt the ground shake and herd the Tauros approaching. Brian felt his heart pound with fear; what was he to do now? He had only two Pokémon on him and one of them was unconscious! His Wartortle was tough, yes, but not powerful enough to take on thirty or so Tauros single handedly!

Brian then looked to his left and saw the small lake just thirty meters away. That must be were the Psyduck came from; it was Brian's only way out. Pulling out the pokeball from his belt, Brian summoned his Wartortle.

Once released from his capsule, Wartortle was alarmed to see his trainer hurt. Brian, however, wasted no time on explanations.

"Wartortle! Gah! I need you to help me to the water, and swim me to the other side!" Brian stepped forward and let out a cry of pain, "We have to be quick! There is a stampede coming this way, and if we get caught in it…"

Wartortle did not wait to hear the rest. The little blue turtle picked up its trainer in a tremendous display of strength and ran straight for the lake. It did not take Wartortle more than a few seconds to clear the thirty or so meters from the Jeep to the banks of the lake; even while carrying Brian's hundred and fifty-nine pounds.

Once at the banks of the body of water, Brian hugged Wartortle and said weakly, "We have to get out of here! Please get me to the other side!"

While Brian held on to Wartortle, the Pokémon jumped down into the water and began to swim. Not surprisingly, Wartortle moved a lot faster in the water than he did on land. The pair of them reached the banks on the other end of the lake with in less than fifteen minutes. Once there, Brian took off his pants and wrapped his leg tightly with part of his t shirt.

The wound did not bleed very fast, and it had already been partially cleaned by the water. Once his leg was bandaged up, Brian hung his clothes up to dry.

Most of his stuff, (his wallet, bag, potions, etc.), were sitting in a locker over at the entrance to the Safari Zone. The only things Brian had on him were his Pokedex, a Tauros, his Wartortle, and four empty Safari Balls. He had left the tranq-rifle in the Jeep.

Brian pet Wartortle on the head and said gratefully, "You saved my life just now! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Wartortle gestured for Brian to lie back against the tree.

As it was close to winter, Brian felt himself shivering soon enough. His clothes were still wet, so he really had no means to warm himself. Not to mention he had no idea how to get out of the Safari Zone, so his situation was starting to look a bit helpless.

As Brian thought about the absurdity of the dilemma he was currently facing, he could not help but laugh. Upon hearing Brian's laughter, Wartortle looked up at his trainer in confusion.

"You know what, Wartortle?" Brian said as his laughter died down, "I think some of Jet's luck is starting to rub off on me! Shit, this is just like one of those stories he's always telling me about. The kid's bad luck; that's what I think."

Brian's smile faded off his face as Wartortle looked bewildered by his trainer's behavior. "Then again," Brian begun, "Jet does always have a knack of getting himself out of trouble. I wonder what he would do in my position?"

Brian felt himself shiver, "I guess any smart person would worry about getting warm, first. Wartortle, I need you to find me some fire wood. We'll camp out like we used to."

Wartortle nodded and headed off. Brian shivered some more. He needed warmth. _Maybe Tauros is warm?_ Figuring it was worth a shot, Brian sent out his sleeping Tauros. He then laid down next to the beast in an attempt to warm himself. Tauros did not awaken at Brian's touch.

"Maybe after you wake up, you can give me a ride out of here?" But Tauros simply slept on. The tranquilizer was so strong, in fact, that over four hours passed before Tauros finally regained consciousness.

By this time the fire was already roaring, and Wartortle was currently munching on a salmon he'd pulled from the lake. Brian was warming his self by the fire. When he noticed Tauros was awake, he said, "Good to see you finally up! I'm your new trainer, Brian. This is another one of my Pokémon, Wartortle."

Tauros flicked his ears. For a moment, he could not believe that he'd been captured and figured there was some kind of mistake. But then he felt it; in the back of his mind, growing louder and louder. He felt the realization that this… _human _was, in fact, his master. The bond had already taken hold.

Brian shifted so he was sitting directly in front of Tauros and asked, "So, do you know how to get where all of the humans are?"

Tauros snorted and nodded; albeit reluctantly. Brian seemed to have sensed this, because he said, "I know you probably did not wish to be captured, but you were. You might as well make the best out of it. Now; when my clothe dry, can you take me to them?"

Tauros hesitated, and then he nodded again. Brian's face split into a weak smile, "That's great! Listen; you've been out for a while, so you may need to hydrate. Why don't you go drink some water real quick before we head out?"

Tauros sighed and stood up. He then walked over to the banks of the lake and bent down to drink. Before he did so, however, he flicked his tail in annoyance to show his disapproval for being captured.

Wartortle looked from Brian to Tauros; wondering if his trainer was up to the task of breaking in this new Pokémon. Brian sighed and went to his clothes to get his pokedex. He had not checked Tauros' attacks or stats upon the beast's capture.

Using his Pokedex, he scanned the area in front of him. The Pokedex showed three Pokémon in its immediate line of sight. A Wartortle at level twenty-eight, a Tauros at level twenty five, and to Brian's surprise…

"Wartortle!" Brian said quickly, "There is a level seventeen Dratini just below the surface of the water! Can you grab it and bring it up, please?" Brian spoke with such urgency in his voice, Wartortle wasted no time in jumping in the water after the dragon Pokémon.

Brian grabbed an empty Safari-Ball and waited for his Wartortle with bated breath. After about forty seconds, Brian gazed in wonder as Wartortle jumped out of the water and slammed a slender, blue, serpentine dragon Pokémon onto the ground. Brian felt his heart skip a beat as he quickly said, "Quick, Wartortle, use Slam!"

Wartortle grabbed Dratini by its tail and slammed it yet again against the ground. Dratini let out a cry of pain and sent a weak electric charge at Wartortle. Wartortle stepped back and found himself paralyzed from the Thunder-Wave. Dratini tried to make a run for it, but Brian yelled, "Tauros, use Horn Attack!"

Tauros, who up in to this point was simply watching with interest, looked up at Brian with a look of surprise. Realizing he had caught Tauros off guard, Brian yelled, "Horn Attack, now!"

This time, Tauros was prepared. He charged Dratini and hit it before it was able to escape back in the water. Brian yelled, "Good job, Tauros! Now flank him and knock him away from the water!"

Tauros followed Brian's commands and Tackled Dratini so it flew three meters away from the water. Dratini landed with a soft thump and squealed. Then it angrily drew itself to full height and used Dragon Rage. The attack hit Tauros and knocked him into the water. Tauros roared and Brian called his name.

The wild bull was not out for the count yet, it seemed. Tauros stood back up on solid ground and let out a very intimidating battle cry. It then gathered a ball of dark aura and shot it at Dratini. Brian noted that Tauros' attack looked almost as if it was the dark version of Dratini's Dragon Rage, and wondered exactly what attack did he use. Dratini was hit by the ball of dark energy and squealed in pain yet again. The dragon was knocked back; this time, unconscious.

Brian enlarged the Safari Ball in his hand and cast it out to Dratini. The unconscious Pokémon was immediately captured. Brian had just fulfilled his lifelong dream of owning a Dratini. Brian felt as though he was floating inside. So strange that just a few hours ago, Brian had saw his first dead body. Now he felt as though he could walk on water.

He limped over to his new Tauros and hugged him around the neck, "You were awesome, Tauros! You did it! I can't believe it!" He then let go of a bewildered Tauros and bent down to hug his Wartortle, "Thank you so much! You found him for me; I can't believe we actually got him!"

Wartortle grunted due to his paralysis. Brian let go quickly and said, "Oh yeah, sorry about that."

Grabbing Wartortle's pokeball, he recalled the paralyzed Pokémon. An hour later, Brian was putting on his damp clothes in order to ride Tauros and get out of the Safari Zone. The jubilation from catching his dream Pokémon had died down mostly, and Joe's death was weighing on his mind once again.

Both Wartortle and Dratini were now on Brian's belt. Tauros was now well-hydrated and rearing to go. Brian took a deep breath as he felt the apprehension at the prospect of riding the country-side on a two hundred pound Tauros. Not to mention his body was still sore as shit from the car crash.

"Hold on a sec," Brian said to Tauros. He pulled out his Pokedex to check his moves. Brian was very curious as to what attack Tauros used to knock out Dratini. Brian scanned Tauros and gave a little smile, "Payback. Of course it was."

**Author's Notes:**

**Brian's Team:**

**Wartortle – Lvl.28 Male**

**Tauros – Lvl.25 Male**

**Dratini – Lvl.17 Female**

**I can't believe we hit fifty chapters; that's fucking crazy! Thank you for all of the reviews. I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to share your thoughts.**

**Speaking of which, a guest reader by the name of Code Blue left a lengthy review, (my favorite kind!) in which they asked a lot of questions about the direction of the story. And though I won't answer all of the questions to prevent spoilers, there are a few I could shed some light on.**

**This wasn't really a question, but you mentioned Pokémon who evolve by stones or trading just evolve at a high level. I like where your head is at, but I always just kind of saw them evolving by their environment or by certain battle conditions; like Eevee. Or by happiness. It will vary from Pokémon to Pokémon. And to all of those wondering; yes Spark will eventually evolve into a Raichu!**

**Jet will be taking a bit of a break from the Gym Circuit, but he will continue training his Pokémon during this time.**

**As for the Telepathy and Aura questions, both abilities will be addressed much later in the story. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave it at that.**

**Anyway, thank you again for the reviews, and I sincerely hope you have enjoyed reading the past fifty chapters as much as I have enjoyed writing them! I look forward to posting future updates, and would very much enjoy to hear your thoughts and predictions. It's amazing how close some of your ideas come to my own. It's also interesting to hear the directions you see the story going; especially when it's different from my own.**


	51. The Spider Ninja

**Author's Notes:**

**Before we get started a have a few questions to answer.**

**I was asked if I'd be switching POV's often and focusing on more than one story. The answer is I will not be doing it that often, but it will happen every now and then.**

**I was asked if Jet will keep Krabby. I always liked Kingler too, but you won't see Jet's Krabby in his main lineup. I will say that Krabby will make a return appearance; of that much I am certain.**

**I was asked if I could show the star rating for every Pokémon in my updates. Just to clarify; the star rating isn't a measure of the **_**individual**_** Pokémon's threat level, but rather a measure of the threat a species as a whole poses. It is a rating made up by the International Pokémon League. If you want to see where a Pokémon stands in terms of their **_**actual**_** threat level, I'd suggest watching the future battles; they get bloody.**

**And finally, will Jet leave Kanto and eventually go on to other regions to battle in their leagues. We still have a long way to go before that point, but all I can say is that's the plan. If I do continue the story after Kanto, I might just do a separate story.**

**And with that, on with the story!**

The Spider Ninja

Jet's new phone vibrated on the nightstand, waking him up from his sleep. He grunted as he sat up in bed. The phone stopped vibrating, but there was a small green light blinking on it to announce Jet had missed a call. Jet looked beside him to find a sleeping Misty lying warm in her blanket. _Glad none of this is waking you, _He thought sourly.

Daylight had already filled Misty's apartment. Around the room were little porcelain figurines of various water Pokémon, along with posters and paintings of much of the same.

Jet grabbed his phone and checked under his missed calls. Bill had called him, and Jet had a good idea what the call was about. He got out of bed so as to not wake Misty with his conversation. Misty turned over when Jet left her side and pulled the blankets in closer. Jet smiled at her and left the room to call Bill back.

"Wake up, sleepy head!" came Bill's voice over the phone.

"You could've waited until the afternoon." Grumbled Jet. He noted that it was strange talking to Bill on the phone while he walked around Misty's place completely naked.

Bill laughed, "No way, I'm an impatient man! I need an answer!"

Jet yawned and replied, "I thought you said you'd give me some time to think about it?"

"Well, you had the night to sleep it off, didn't you?" Bill asked, "It's not a big deal, I just need you to manage the club for me until I can find a replacement."

"Yeah, I get that," Jet began, "But I don't know shit about running a Battle Club!"

The previous night, Bill had called Jet up to ask his advice on how to get his Magikarp to use Waterfall. During said conversation, it came up that Bill found out the guy managing his Battle Club was stealing money from him. Somehow, the conversation moved to Jet managing the Club temporarily; at least until Bill found a replacement.

"What's to know?" Bill laughed, "The workers are the ones who run the place! I just need someone to _supervise_ them. You know; make sure they're doing their bloody jobs! I need someone I can trust, and you said you'd be in Cerulean for a while!"

Jet laughed, "Yeah, but-"

"No buts," Bill cut in, "Just be down there today 'round four thirty. Johnny will show you what to do."

"You really should find somebody more qualified for the job." Jet said while absentmindedly looking through Misty's fridge for orange juice.

"You're qualified!" Bill laughed, "Didn't you use to supervise at Oak's Lab?"

"That's different," Jet said simply.

"Not that much." Bill retorted, "Plus you're a _trainer_! Anyone that has to teach fire breathing monsters that could kill him at any second to fight other fire breathing monsters has leadership experience!"

Jet laughed and Bill continued, "Just go down there this afternoon for me, would you? The club has been without a manager for two days now and already I'm hearing about problems over there."

Jet sighed as he closed the fridge door, "Yeah. I'll do it. But only as a favor."

Bill laughed, "Favor he say's! Kid, you're about to get paid good money to boss my employees about and watch Pokémon battles! Do you know how many applicants have already applied for this job already?"

Jet frowned, "How many?"

"Only one," said Bill, unabashed, "but that poor guy's dreams are crushed because I'm giving the position to you. I'm doing _you_ a favor, mate!"

Jet smiled, "Alright, alright! Keep your panties on; I said I'll do it!"

"Good," Bill said, satisfied, "Now show up at four thirty. The crew will teach you the ropes but don't let them get over on you; I don't want anyone else stealing my money. Got it?"

"Yeah, think so." Jet found it strange that Bill seemed to worry about the earnings of one small operation when he probably had more money than God himself.

"Alright, Jethro, call me later to let me know how things are."

After talking to Bill on the phone, Jet went back into Misty's room to crawl back into bed. Misty, it turns out, was already awake.

"Oh no," she said as he went to lie back down, "You got me up so now _you're_ making me breakfast!"

Jet sighed and got back up, "No problem, what are you hungry for?"

Misty stretched out in her bed, "I want pancakes, eggs, sausage links, and toast with strawberry jam!"

Jet smiled and said, "That it?" he bent down to pick up his boxers and get dressed. Misty, however, had other ideas.

"No, no," she said as he put on his underwear, "Pants back off! Since you want to be a smart ass and wake me up, you can make breakfast naked!"

Jet grinned as he dropped his boxers and walked over to the bed, "Only fair if you eat breakfast naked, too."

"Nope," said Misty as Jet pulled the blanket off her; revealing her naked body, "I'm not the one at fault here; you are."

Jet climbed into bed and spread her legs apart, "That's not fair at all." He told her moving in so his body was against hers.

She put her hand on his chest, stopping him. "Breakfast first, _and then_ we can fool around."

**XXX**

Brian grinned as Amy's face showed up on his new laptop. "Hey, beautiful, how's Goldenrod?"

It had been three weeks since the debacle at the Safari Zone, and Brian was now staying in a motel near the Fuchsia City harbor. There was a field not too far north where wild Pokémon were plentiful, but they were mostly week bird Pokémon.

Brian had been trying to train his new Dratini, (whom he felt was seriously underpowered), but to little success. She turned out to be very hard to train. She didn't pay attention half the time. The other half she seemed to have problems performing any of the maneuvers he had tried to teach.

Amy frowned upon hearing the news, "I know what you mean! Besides my Ivysaur, all of the rest of my Pokémon aren't even fighting fit! I battled my brother the other day, and he destroyed me!"

Brian scratched his head, "I thought you two were about even?"

Amy laughed, "The Pokémon he had in Cerulean were some of the weaker ones he was trying to train! He has over forty different Pokémon, half of which are trained fighters."

"Whoa," Brian said in a low voice. Forty different Pokémon! To be able to train that many to fight at such a young age, Gary must be quite the prodigy! Brian had underestimated him.

"I know what my problem is," Amy went on, "Gary say's it's because I focus all of my attention on training Ivysaur that I forget about everyone else. He says it's a common rookie mistake." Amy said the last part with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"So, how do you plan on catching everyone up?"

"Well," Amy seemed to think about it, "I'll probably just head over to National Park and train them there. I figure a few months of training, and everyone should be at least battle ready."

Brian nodded. The national park in Goldenrod had mostly bug and grass types, but he heard a lot of trainers hang out there. "I got to train my guys up too. Luckily, the Safari Zone isn't the only thing Fuchsia City is famous for!"

"What, the zoo?"

Brian laughed, "No! Koga's Gym!"

Amy thought for a moment and said, "Oh, the Ninja dude! You're not thinking of challenging him are you? He's like, one of the top trainers in the region."

"Hell no I'm not going to battle him! I'm going to learn from him," Brian said excitedly, "I'm going to get a membership at his Gym!"

Amy giggled, "I'm not sure how well ninjutsu is going to translate to your Dratini. Still can't believe you caught a fucking Dratini, by the way. That is fucking insane!"

"Yeah," Brian grinned, "Amazing how a near death experience can open doors to new opportunities, huh?"

Amy laughed and said, "Hey, listen, I got to call you tomorrow! Trevor is coming over today; we're going to grab some food!"

Brian felt a stab of annoyance. Trevor was Amy's new crush. One of Gary's friends, he was a handsome half black, half white bartender whom Amy could not seem to shut up about. Brian found it irritating that she could simply talk about other boys knowing how Brian felt about her. He felt slightly better, however, when Amy kissed the camera and said, "Love you! Bye!"

Brian smiled, "Love you too, Amy!" And then she was gone.

**XXX**

The next day Brian found himself walking through the corridors of the Fuchsia City Pokémon Gym. His escort, a boy named Nick who worked at the front desk, kept going on about the legacy of said Gym. Brian was only half listening, however, and simply took in the awe that was the size of the establishment. The Gym had twelve acres of land to call its own. It had different battle fields to suit different types of Pokémon.

There were multiple buildings inside the gates of the Gym, all designed in the style of traditional Japanese Dojos. There were dozens of trainers scattered about the gym. Each with different types of Pokémon from different regions with varying levels of rarity.

Brian's guide led him to a training field that looked more like a garden than anything else. In the garden, a group of trainers were gathered around a young woman who seemed to be giving them a lesson on different herbs to feed their Pokémon.

"Beg your pardon, Ms. Janine," Brian's guide announced to the instructor of the lesson, "but we have a new member to the Gym!"

Janine looked at Brian appraisingly. She was young; probably mid-twenties. She was very pretty, but had a demeanor about her that slightly intimidated Brian.

"What's your name, Trainer?"

She spoke with unquestioning authority. To Brian, this was a little off setting. "Umm, my name is Brian Chang. From Pallet Town." He felt nervous as all eyes were now on him.

Janine turned to Brian's guide and said, "Thank you Nick, that will be all."

Nick gave a little bow, and left Brian with Janine. Janine stood up and walked over to Brian, hand extended for a shake, "Welcome to the Fuchsia City Gym," she said, now smiling as she shook his hand, "I am glad you chose to train here! There is no Gym in the region more renown than this one when it comes to molding young trainers!"

Brian smiled back, less nervous than before, "Yeah, I've heard a lot about this place! I can't wait to start training with Koga!"

Several people from Janine's class began to laugh. Janine herself smiled and said, "You may have to wait a while to train with my father! His class is only for the most advanced of trainers. You'll have to work your way up to that point."

"Wait, what?" Brian asked disappointed, "I don't get to train with him?"

Janine smiled kindly, "Perhaps. You must be tested first, to ascertain your skill level."

"Oh, well, no problem then! What's the test? A battle? A written exam?" Brian grinned. If he could pass his Class A tests, then he should certainly be able to impress these people enough to get put in the advanced course.

Janine looked over to the class behind her and said, "You guys take a fifteen minute break. Go use the restrooms and grab some water."

Her class began to disperse and Janine turned back to Brian, "I suppose if you wish to start now we can. It's real simple; you and I will have a quick three on three battle. Use whatever tactics you feel necessary to win. I will judge your performance, and that of your Pokémon, and place you in either a beginners, intermediate, or advance level. Sound good?"

Brian grinned and said, "Yeah sounds great! My Pokémon are all ready for battle!"

Janine nodded and said, then send out your first Pokémon, and try not to destroy any plants! If you break it, you buy it!"

Brian looked around at all the herbs, bushes and small trees. It would be very hard to attack full strength and _not_ damage any of the surroundings. Save a small patch of grass where the trainers were sitting for the lesson and a small pond, this area of the Gym was made up of nothing _but_ plants!

"Ok," Brian said apprehensively, "I guess I'll start out with you, Wartortle!"

Janine gave Wartortle the same appraising look she gave to Brian and said, "Interesting." She then pulled a pokeball from her waist and summoned a very large, and very brightly colored Ariados. Janine told Brian, "You may begin whenever you are ready."

Brian nodded and told Wartortle, "Let's start off with Bubblebeam!"

"Double Team, Ari!" Janine said calmly, but forcefully.

The spider Pokémon was incredibly quick. It easily dodged Wartortle's attack and surrounded him with eight different after images. Janine then said, "Night-slash."

Before Wartortle had a chance to react, one of the after images shot at him while veiling itself in a dark aura. For a second, the rest of the images disappeared, but then reappeared once more after the attack had been dealt. Wartortle now had a large gash on his arm, and he grunted with pain. Brian nervously said, "Try spraying them with a three-sixty Water-Gun!"

Wartortle retreated into his shell. Suddenly the shell began to spin as a torrent of water shot out and sprayed the surrounding area. The attack worked, and Ariados jumped out of the way of the water.

Jasmine nodded her approval at the attack and told her Pokémon, "Time to disappear."

Ariados sprayed some sludge from his mouth in Wartortle's direction. Wartortle rolled and avoided the attack, but then his opponent was nowhere to be found.

_Where did it go? _Brian asked himself, _One minute it was there and then the next…_

Wartortle suddenly squealed in pain as a shadow rushed past him and into a nearby bush, thus disappearing again. Wartortle now had a new gash on the side of its hind leg. Brian gasped, "No! Wartortle, are you ok?"

The little water Pokémon grunted affirmative as his leg trembled from the fresh wound. Suddenly, the shadow returned. Ariados rushed past with another Night-slash before disappearing again into the shrubbery. Wartortle fell on all fours in a cry of pain as his other leg began to bleed freely as well. Brian was at a loss for what to do.

"Hmph," Janine said, disappointed, "After that first Water-Gun, I kind of expected more. Oh well. Ari, end it with Electric Web!"

Wartortle's foe appeared behind him, and wrapped him in a web charged with powerful currents of electricity. Wartortle cried out in pain and Brian yelled, "Enough, I'll recall him! He's out!"

The electric currents stopped, and Brian recalled his Wartortle. Janine frowned at Brian, "have anything with a little more kick?"

Brian gritted his teeth in frustration. His Wartortle was his strongest Pokémon, yet that Ariados toyed with him like he was nothing! _Perhaps Wartortle was just wrong for that particular opponent?_ Brian asked himself. She was right, he needed something with a little more umph.

"Go, Growlithe!"

His pup of a fire Pokémon came out rearing to fight. It growled threateningly at Ariados and used Intimidate to suppress his opponents attack using his aura.

Brian wasted no time, "Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!" Growlithe hasn't had much practice since the last time he used the attack. As such, it took way too long to get the attack started, and by the time he got going, Ariados had already disappeared into the bushes. Brian quickly yelled, "Stop!"

Growlithe looked up at his trainer in confusion. Brian explained, "I have to pay for whatever plants get destroyed during this battle! So whatever you do, don't burn the bushes!"

Growlithe rolled his eyes in exasperation and began to growl threats into the open air at his hidden foe. His threats were soon answered, however, when Ariados shot past Growlithe with another Night-slash. Growlithe yelped as his opponent slashed at his side and disappeared into the bushes. Ignoring his trainer's earlier requests, Growlithe angrily ran up to the bush Ariados disappeared into and set it ablaze with Ember.

Brian cried out, "No Growlithe, don't do that!"

Growlithe must not have heard Brian, however, because he quickly went to the next bush and set it ablaze in an attempt to flush out the enemy.

Brian groaned and recalled his Pokémon, "He's out! I forfeit the match! I don't have anything that can beat your Ariados, so it's best I don't send out anyone else to get injured." Brian's voice was defeated. He wasn't going to train with Koga now. He'd have to start off in the beginner's class now.

Janine called to her Pokémon, "Ari, put out these fires!" It did not take long for Ariados to douse the flames with his web. Janine looks at the burned bushes with disdain, "I'm going to have to get Mookie to get rid of these now," she sighed and turned to Brian.

"You and your Pokémon do not have a very strong bond."

Brian felt his heart sink, "What? What do you mean?"

Janine grimaced and said, "It sounds cruel, I know. But it _is _true. You don't seem to be that bad of a trainer, so I'm guessing you got your Pokémon second hand?"

Brian looked down and said, "Those two that I used were given to me."

Janine nodded and said, "How often do you spend time with your Pokémon outside of battles?"

Brian looked up at her, "Umm…"

Janine sighed, "I thought so. I'm going to put you in the Beginner's class for now. I want you to work on building bonds with your Pokémon instead of battling with them for a while. Once you have showed me your Pokémon completely trust you, we'll move you up to intermediate."

Brian opened his mouth and then shut it. Had he really neglected to build a bond with his Pokémon? Was that why Growlithe disliked him? Was that why he had trouble bringing out Wartortle's full strength?

Janine put a hand on Brian's shoulder and said, "Don't get down on yourself. A lot of great trainers started out where you are now. You need to take your time and crawl before you can walk, ok? There is a lot more to raising Pokémon than battling them to raise their power level. You'll learn that soon enough."

Brian smiled at Janine and said, "Thanks. I guess I came to the right place, huh?"

Janine nodded and said, "Yes. You'll be a real trainer in no time. Trust me."

Some of the trainers from Janine's class started to show up. One of them pointed at the burned bushes and laughed, "Told you the Newbie would fuck up the plants!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Just a fair warning, I shall soon be changing the name of the title from Into the Fire to Pokémon: Blood Red. I understand that it's kind of a dick move to change the title fifty chapters in, but I've hated the title Into the Fire for a while now. Pokémon: Blood Red is just a lot more fitting.**

***Brian's Team:**

Wartortle – Lvl.29 Male

Fearow – Lvl.21 Male

Sandslash – Lvl.24 Male

Heracross – Lvl.18 Male

Growlithe – Lvl.20 Male

Tangela – Lvl.17 Female

*Janine's Ariados – Lvl.38 Male

Brian is now training at the prestigious Fuchsia City Pokémon Gym and Amy is training with her brother, (a prodigious trainer in his own right).

With Jet's friends strengthening their teams, will they be able to catch up? What will become of Jet now that he's staying in Cerulean again? Will he keep up with his training? Or will he be too distracted by Misty's charms?

Can Brian evolve his Dratini? Will Amy ever surpass her brother? Will Jet's bad luck catch up with him soon? Stay tuned, and please review!


	52. The Beauty Pageant

**Author's Note:**

**During the long break between chapters 50 and 51, I went back and revised all 50 chapters of this story. It took a shit ton of time, but the new chapters are all posted and polished for new readers, (or anyone who decides to re-read some chapters to catch up to current updates).**

**The revised version hasn't changed much at all. Just fixing grammar mistakes, changing a few sentences, adding page breaks; basically everything my reviewers have been telling me to do for months that I never got around to doing.**

The Beauty Pageant

It took a good six months before the sinking of the SS Anne was no longer the main highlight in the local newspapers. First it was on every headline for weeks on end. Then there memorials, multiple analysis's, and fierce debate on just about every news channel. For months one could not pick up a paper without finding a reference to the sinking hidden somewhere amidst the sea of black and white. However, like in all disasters, life moves on.

In Cerulean City, the new widely televised event wasn't a catastrophe or disaster, but rather an annual beauty contest that was held for the breeders of the Kanto Region. It was a huge night for those in the profession; the first place ribbon was highly coveted by breeders and trainers. The event was to be held at the Cerulean City Pokémon Gym, with the sensational sisters as the hosts.

Misty herself was not to be a host, but rather one of the judges. The Gym was packed with trainers and breeders and reporters and the like. All of which were dressed in colorful gowns and sharp suits, with shiny shoes and high heels. Misty felt nervous as she her father and the other judges by the bar to speak with journalists who were reporting on the event. This was the first time Misty got to judge the Cerulean City Beauty Pageant; an honor that usually belonged to her father alone.

Along with her dad, the other judges were Mr. an Mrs. Calloway. They had run a famous Pokémon daycare not to far from the city. There was also an old lady by the name of Eleanor Duvall, who had once won the Pageant seven years running. As the journalists interviewed Ms. Duvall, Misty looked around the room at the different contestants. All had gorgeous looking Pokémon. There was a Butterfree, a Ninetales, a Snubbull, and a myriad of little (mostly pink) fur-balls all competing for a ribbon.

Misty's dad tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up at him to see that he was wearing a sly grin, "Your boyfriend's here!" He pointed at a guy across the room with brown hair and matching eyes. Jethro Brown; Misty's ex.

"Oh God!" Misty said, feeling her face get hot. Her dad laughed. He had been very fond of Jet. Her dad usually didn't like Misty's boyfriends, but he humored Jet because he had once defeated Misty herself for the Cascade Badge. Once the two had met, they got along swimmingly, (much to Misty's displeasure).

"You should go say hi!" Her dad said with an annoyingly big grin.

"You do of course realize that we are no longer together, right?"

Her dad laughed, "That doesn't mean you can't be civil!"

Misty put her hands on her hips, "What happened to the dad that used to threaten my boyfriends during prom dates?"

Her dad shrugged and said, "Or don't say hi. Doesn't matter. I'm going to get some crab cakes, excuse me."

Misty bit her lip as her dad walked off. There was no way she could _not_ talk to Jet. They'd meet eventually. And then of course, there was that part of her that _wanted_ to talk to him. But since they broke up, talking to each other just usually led to a fight followed by angry sex. Then closely followed by awkward mornings and another fight. It was fucking exhausting.

Sucking it up, Misty walked over to Jet, who smiled at her as she approached. She had never seen him dressed up before. The fact that he was at his best tonight seemed to annoy Misty more. Was he here to sleep with her again? _Not happening tonight, asshole! No matter much you bat those eyes!_

"Wasn't expecting this many people here," Jet said by way of greeting, "how have you been?"

Misty glared at Jet and he smirked, "I know that look. What did I do this time?"

"Why are you here?" Misty asked vehemently.

Jet looked genuinely surprised by the question, "I told you I was entering this contest three weeks ago!"

"What?" Misty then thought about it, "I thought you were joking!"

Jet laughed, "Why? Because you don't think I can win?"

Misty raised an eyebrow, "You do realize this is a _beauty _pageant, right? Not a battle competition. Your Charmeleon will not do well here."

Jet smiled at Misty, "I wasn't going to enter Thorn, although I do think this contest is shallow in its ideals of what's beautiful and what isn't!" Jet seemed sour about the face that this was one competition his Charmeleon couldn't win.

"Well what then?" Misty asked, now curious, "Your Raichu still has that scar."

"It's a battle wound," Jet said affronted, "and no I will not be entering Spark either."

Misty looked at Jet with an accusing look, "What are you planning to enter?"

"Can't it just be a surprise? As I recall, you seemed to like surprises."

Misty glared at Jet once more. Jet then asked, "I'm not going to have to worry about our personally history affecting the integrity of you judgment, am I?"

Misty was taken aback, "Of course not? Why would you even ask me that question?"

"If I recall correctly," Jet said with a frown, "It was you who threw that clock at my head while I was running out of your apartment half naked when we last spoke."

Misty opened her mouth to argue, but Jet put up his hand in a gesture of silence. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Perhaps, at least while we're in public, you could use your bedroom voice." He then paused and added, "You smell great by the way."

Misty felt her heart quicken, but suddenly remembered she was supposed to be mad, "I wouldn't have thrown that clock at you if you didn't call me a bipolar bitch!" She spoke in a harsh whisper.

Jet shook his head, "I didn't call you a bipolar bitch! I told you to stop acting like one. Uh, uh, ah!" He added as she looked as though she was about to explode, "Temper."

Misty took a deep breath and let it out, "I think, for _now_, we should save this conversation until after the contest. When there aren't TV cameras all around my Gym."

Jet nodded and said, "Say hi to your dad for me."

Misty stalked off and Jet let out a sigh. He didn't understand why she got so angry over every little thing he did. It was as if they were stuck in an endless cycle of arguments which were only halted when they were fucking. Jet amused himself with the thought that most couples had to be together for years to build the animosity Misty seemed to hold for Jet in just a few short months.

It had started because he apparently spent too much time working and training. Then it was because he didn't _hold his end of the conversation._ Then it became little things of seemingly no importance, like forgetting to text. Or saying that Rihanna was hot. It all became too much.

_Still,_ Jet admitted to himself as Misty walked away to join the other judges, _Her ass looks great in that dress!_ Jet smiled to himself as he recalled some of the better parts of their relationship. Their trips to the boardwalk, their nights out and about the city. He reminisced over their training sessions with their Pokémon, and how much they had in common when it came to league favorites. He thought back to their awkward first sexual encounters, and how they eventually became so comfortable with each other's bodies that half the time they spent in her apartment was spent completely nude.

All in all he missed Misty. As much as they argued and fought, Jet loved that little red head! From her ridiculous side ponytail that she wore when she was working in the pool, right down to her size six feet. She was partially the reason he had stayed in Cerulean for so long.

He loved the City as well. He had grown comfortable at his job at the battle club. He loved food, the night clubs, the battles with the locals. He loved hanging out in Misty's Gym and eating with her family. He loved the fact that the city was only a couple hours away from Pallet Town on the free-way. Jet had often visited his home with Misty to check in with his family.

Now that Jet's relationship with Misty seemed to be over, however, he had contemplated moving on. He wanted to start traveling again. He wanted to catch new Pokémon. He had already spent the winter training all of his weaker Pokémon. He had been winning dozens of battle competitions all over the city. And it the Cascade Badge was nestled in his badge case for months. The only thing that was really keeping Jet in Cerulean was his job at the battle club, and Bill was coming into town in a few days to replace him as manager.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Jet looked up as Violet took the stage, "the Pageant will begin in thirty minutes. Thank you for your patience."

_A half hour, huh?_ Jet thought to himself as he questioned why he showed up on time in the first place. He then sighed and resigned to check out the competition.

He had never been in a beauty pageant, though he had seen a few on TV. Pokémon contests were difficult because it was based off opinion and style, rather than skill and brute strength. From the looks of the competitors, many of these Pokémon had probably never been in a real battle all of their lives. They were like show dogs.

Jet soon found a familiar face among the competition. It was AJ Thompson; a guy Jet lost to back in Vermillion City. While most people were wearing tuxedo's, AJ simply wore slacks and a gulf shirt. His tribal tattoos were clearly visible under his short sleeves. On his shoulder was a small Butterfree with very exquisite designs on its wings.

Jet walked up and said, "Wasn't expecting to see you here."

AJ looked up at the sound of Jet's voice, "Sorry, friend, but I'm not sure I know who you are."

Jet laughed, "No need to apologize! I'm bad with names and faces too! I remember yours, though! I lost a match against your Sandshrew once. I usually don't forget people I lose battles to."

AJ smiled at Jet, "Guess you don't lose too often, then?"

"No," Jet said mildly. "Course, I don't have a track record like you! Ninety-eight wins when I last checked."

AJ's eyes widened, "Oh yeah, I remember you now! The guy with the Scyther! Yeah that winning streak is long gone! I made myself a promise that I wouldn't start collecting badges until my hundredth win. Got to a hundred, then faced the Vermillion City Gym Leader."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "Lost to Surge, huh?"

AJ sighed, "Fucker whipped my ass up and down that field. He had this fucking Toxicroak… Well anyway, I'm back at twenty eight. Thought I'd try my hand at this Pageant, seeing as how I'm in town and all."

AJ's Butterfree began to sniff his head. AJ turned and smiled at it, "Will you stop that? It's a new shampoo, alright?"

Far from stopping, the Butterfree began to ruffle its trainer's hair affectionately until he recalled it into its pokeball.

Jet nodded at the pokeball, "Seems friendly enough."

"Yeah," AJ scowled, "Too friendly. She's been that way since she was a Caterpie. We got some time before this thing starts, how 'bout you and I grab a beer."

Jet nodded, "Might as well."

The pair made their way to the open bar where in which they grabbed a couple of lagers. While the rest of the competitors were grooming attending their Pokémon in preparation for the main event, Jet and AJ found a couple of chairs against the wall.

"You don't strike me as a breeder," AJ said thoughtfully, "How'd you end up here?"

Jet sipped his drink and said, "I'm versatile. My Pokémon are good for more than fighting."

"That right," AJ said thoughtfully. He then caught a glimpse of Daisy and said, "Man what I wouldn't give for a taste of one of those sensational sisters."

Jet smiled, "Two are married and one just got engaged."

AJ snorted, "Damn shame. Where'd you hear that, tabloids?"

Jet shook his head, "I used to date their sister."

"Nice."

"She'll be the cute red haired judge glaring at me during the competition."

AJ laughed, "What did you do?"

Jet smiled back, "Let you know when I find out!"

"Women," AJ said just before taking another sip. Jet and AJ talked for another fifteen minutes. Jet told AJ about his time with Professor Oak, and how he ended up leaving Pallet Town to try his luck at catching and training his own Pokémon.

AJ, for his part, told Jet how his dad trained Pokémon for a circus, ("I knew it!" exclaimed Jet), and how he was given his Sandshrew when he first got a license.

"All these years together and he still refuses to evolve!" AJ explained, "Don't get me wrong, I love the lil guy to death, but god damn!"

Jet laughed and said, "Can't help you there."

AJ took a sip of his third beer and asked, "What Pokémon are you entering in this contest anyway? Not your Scyther, I'd imagine."

Jet shook his head, "Nah. You'll see when the contest starts."

AJ laughed, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot we're competing _against_ each other!"

Jet laughed too. Violet got back up on stage and announced that the Pageant would begin in five minutes, and asked all contestants to proceed back stage.

Jet stood up and said, "Talk to you after the Pageant?"

AJ nodded and said, "Yeah, Jet, good luck!"

Jet smiled back, "You too! Let's get this glorified dog show over with!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Just a reminder; next chapter the title of this story will change from **_**Into the Fire**_** to **_**Pokémon: Blood Red**_**. Inconvenient, I know, but I find the new title to be much more fitting to the story.**

**Anyway, let me know what you think of the new chapter! Please Review!**


	53. The Color Pink

**Author's Notes:**

**Ok, a lot of people have been pointing out the fact that Thorn has yet to evolve, and that at his level he should evolve soon. Charizard is my favorite Pokémon; I know when he evolves from Charmeleon as well as anyone else. There is a reason he hasn't evolved yet. It's plain and simple: He's not ready too. He isn't even a year old yet, he's still developing. He will evolve eventually; Thorn is not Ash's Pikachu.**

**Trust me guys, I got this. As I have mentioned multiple times, these evolutions are planned. Everything runs on a timeline. I may sometimes stray from that timeline, but I'm not doing this stuff at random.**

**It was brought up to me that the time lapse may have left a few people confused. In chapter 51, Jet gets a job from Bill a few weeks after the sinking of SS Anne. Chapter 52 takes place six months later. During this time, Jet has been running the battle club, training his weaker Pokémon, and dominating various tournaments held throughout Cerulean City.**

**I will give an update on everyone's level at the end of this chapter. Enjoy, and thanks again for all of your reviews!**

The Color Pink

"Kenny, Anna! It's starting! Get down here, now!"

Mrs. Brown called her twin son and daughter down the steps so they could watch her eldest son compete on live television for a Contest Ribbon in Cerulean City. Her husband and sister were busy setting up the snacks on the coffee table while her sister and brother-in-law grabbed their own children from the backyard.

She knew her son, Jethro, wouldn't approve of the entire family watching him compete. He was so shy when it came to those things. However, her baby was now a professional trainer and why shouldn't she show him off? This was as much her moment as it was his, after all!

_Everyone gathered in front of the TV screen as Mrs. Brown turned up the volume. There were three beautiful young women in different color dresses to match their hair hosting:_

"_Hello, everyone and welcome to the fourteenth annual Cerulean City Pokémon Beauty Pageant! My name is Lily and these are my sisters-"_

_One of the sisters chimed in, "Daisy!" While the other said enthusiastically, "and Violet!"_

_Lily giggled and said, "And we will be your hosts for this evenings show! We have a veerrry special show for you folks here tonight…"_

Mrs. Brown and her family watched as the Sensational sisters did their opening speech, (complete with a small musical number), after which time they cut to a commercial break. Her husband laughed and asked, "Are you serious? They didn't even show Jethro!"

Anna replied, "Dad! Don't you ever watch these things? They always drag it out with commercials before getting to the good stuff!"

Kenny frowned, "What good stuff? This is a beauty contest! It's not like we get to see Jet battle! I haven't seen him battle at all since he got his Charmander!"

Anna sneered, "He's not a Charmander anymore! Thorn is a Charmeleon! They are much more powerful! Besides, he's not using Charmeleon, he's using Star and Bubbles!"

Anna's cousin, Ferris, asked, "Why's Jet in a beauty contest anyway? I thought he was a hardcore trainer?"

Kenny answered, "He is! He's won a bunch of battle competitions already! And he's got tons of Pokémon!"

Ferris then asked, "How come he never gave you any Pokémon?"

"Jet said he will when we get our licenses!" Anna replied. She then turned to her mom and asked, "We're taking our tests this summer, right mom?"

Mrs. Brown, who was having a checking a text from Jet, asked, "What sweetie?"

"You said you would take us to take the test for our Trainer's Licenses when school ends, right?"

Mrs. Brown rolled her eyes, "Not if you keep asking every five minutes!"

Anna smiled and made a hand gesture that mimed zipping her mouth shut. When the commercials were over, the Sensational Sisters brought out the contestants one at a time to present their Pokémon.

First, there was a tough looking guy with green hair who had a Butterfree. Then a lady with a rather posh looking Snubbull. Next was a pair entry; a Plusle and Minun.

"_So, Ivan," _asked Violet,_ "The standards for entering a pair instead of a single contestant have always been traditionally tougher due to the different grading system! Are you the least bit worried that entering two Pokémon for the ribbon instead of one may hurt your chances?_

"_Not at all, Violet!" _replied Ivan the contestant,_ "I've always prided myself as an excellent Pokémon Coordinator, often specializing in pair entries! I know what the judges want to see and I know how to give it to them!"_

The crowd chuckled as Ivan's Plusle and Minun began to flex their little arms cutely. Violet grinned and said, _"Well you certainly are confident! Let's hope your little cuties can put on a great show!"_

The crowd applauded as Ivan was led back off the stage. The next contestant was a handsome man with long hair and his Ninetales. This Ninetales, the audience was informed, had won the Contest ribbon for two years straight, and was the favorite for this year. Anna stared at the creature adoringly and said, "Oh, I want one sooo badly!"

Samson, the family Growlithe, nudged Anna with his nose to get her attention. Anna giggled and said, "Not jealous, are you boy?"

Mrs. Brown cut in, "Shh! Your brother is up!"

Jet walked onto the stage followed closely by a Clefable and a Wigglytuff. "Oh wow! There's Star and Bubbles! He evolved them!"

Mrs. Brown quieted her daughter yet again. Violet then spoke to Jethro:

"_Wow, where did you get these two beauties from?"_

Jet looked slightly nervous as he answered, _"Found them both at Mt. Moon a while back. This is Star,"_ Clefable struck a pose and winked at the mention of her name. The crowd laughed loudly.

"_And this is Bubbles." _Wigglytuff did a quick spin and struck another pose. Both Pokémon then did a curtsey to the crowd. They received a very positive applause.

Violet smiled at Jet and asked, _"You have been making quite a bit of a name for yourself around Cerulean City in battle tournaments! This is your first Pokémon Contest, however, is that correct?"_

"_Uhh, yeah,"_ Jet answered.

"_Are you nervous at all about your first pageant? Especially considering you're entering two Pokémon instead of one? Knowing that the grading policies are tougher on pair entries than single entries?"_

Jet gave a nervous smile and said, "_I'm trying not to think about it to be honest."_

Violet giggled and said, _"Ok, Jet! We look forward to seeing your Pokémon's performance in the competition!"_

Jet recalled his Pokémon and was led off stage when Mrs. Brown beamed at her husband, "Jet wasn't nearly as nervous as I thought he'd be! Remember when he was little he was so shy? He's growing out of it! I'm so proud of him!"

**XXX**

Jet felt as though he was going to start hyperventilating when he got back stage. He had just got finished presenting his Pokémon in front of a live television audience! His heart was beating outside of his chest. He had battled Team Rocket, faced a swarm of Beedrill, and went toe to toe against a former regional league champion in a Pokémon battle. However, after talking to Violet on that stage, he felt as though he'd rather have just gone another round with the Beedrill.

Daisy walked up to him and smiled, "Jeez, Jet! Misty said you were shy around crowds, but you look like you just survived a car crash or something!"

Jet felt himself go red and said, "I don't like being on stage."

She giggled and said, "C'mon, hotshot! You have to bring your Pokémon to the judges for inspection. Don't tell anyone, but we're all rooting for you!"

Jet allowed himself a smile, "Even Misty?"

Daisy took Jet's arm in hers and said, "Oh please! She'll never admit that! The fact that she still goes on rants about you at work though just shows how much she cares!"

Jet laughed and asked, "She say anything worth hearing?"

Lily came out of nowhere and took Jet's other arm, "Oh, just what an enormous asshole you are, and how you always pay more attention to your Charmeleon than you do her!"

Daisy added, "And also that you're too paranoid and that you have a stick up your ass."

Jet shook his head, "All that, huh?"

Lily laughed, "Oh she's just in love! That's how Misty show's affection!"

"She rant's," giggled Daisy.

Jet smiled fondly and said, "Sounds like her."

Lily grinned at Jet, "You two are totally going to get married one day, aren't you? You know, in a lot of ways you're just alike?"

Daisy smirked and said, "All you need is red hair and a menstrual cycle. Here we are! Just go straight over there and present your Pokémon to the judges!"

Jet smiled at Daisy and Lily, then walked forward to meet the judges. There were five of them, most of whom smiled at Jet encouragingly. Misty, however, didn't smile, but just said in a professional manner, "Please present your Pokémon to the panel."

Jet summoned Clefable and Igglybuff. The judges appraised the two pink Pokémon excitedly. Jet gave both Pokémon a mental command, _Curtsey on three! Ready? One, two, three!_ Both Pokémon did their little curtsies and the judges found themselves absolutely delighted.

Misty's father asked, "You said you found these two at Mt. Moon?"

Jet nodded, "Hatched them there when they were just eggs, sir."

Misty frowned, "Aren't these your little brother and sister's Pokémon? I remember wondering how they ended up with such rare ones."

"Oh, no. They were too young to train when I got to Cerulean so I sent them to Ken and Anna so they could take care of them, like I did with Spark."

Misty bent down to inspect both Pokémon with the others. Jet could feel his Pokémon's emotions as they were being inspected. Clefable, like Jet, was experiencing stage fright. He calmed her with his mind, _Take a deep breath and relax! Wink at the judges when they complement you; they are loving you girls so far!_

Wigglytuff, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying herself. She did little cute poses for the judges as if she were modeling in a photo shoot. Jet had been training them for this Pageant for a month; in addition to working at the Battle Club and training other of his weaker Pokémon.

Both Clefable and Wigglytuff have been looking forward to this pageant for weeks. Jet had been on the fence about the whole thing, personally, but his mom convinced him otherwise. She had said all of the most prestigious trainers had tried their hands at Pokémon contests sometime in their life. She also insisted that collecting contest ribbons would be just as impressive as collecting badges. While Jet had his doubts about the whole thing, Star and Bubbles really seemed to like the idea; and so there they were.

"When did you evolve them?" Misty asked, "I remember them being a Cleffa and Igglybuff last time I saw them."

"I've been training them both for weeks. Told them I'd evolve them into their final form if they worked hard enough and got to their second form."

"Wait a minute," said Mrs. Duvall, one of the judges, "do you have a Moon Stone?"

Jet nodded, "Found one when I was training in Mt. Moon!"

"But my boy," persisted Mrs. Duvall, "those are incredibly rare! Do you know how much-"

"Eleanor," Misty's dad cut across her, "perhaps after the initial appraisal?"

Eleanor glared at Misty's dad, but said, "Yes, yes. These are fine specimens you have here boy. Although, they look as though they'd been training to fight rather than being groomed for Pokémon contests."

Misty said, "Mr. Brown here specializes in battles, Mrs. Duvall. He's not a groomer or a Pokémon coordinator."

"Does he really?" Mrs. Duvall turned to Jet and asked, "My dear boy! What are you doing in a competition such as this one? This is about showmanship, not all of that battle nonsense!"

Misty's dad rolled his eyes while the other judges seemed to be trying to hide their smirks. Jet smiled at Mrs. Duvall and said, "My Pokémon have multiple talents, Ma'am, and I think they'll surprise you tonight."

Mrs. Duvall gave Jet's Pokémon one more final glance and said to Jet, "Six point four. It would be higher but I honestly think it's a waste teaching majestic Pokémon such as these violence when they should be learning the finer points of pageantry."

Jet could sense his Pokémon's anger at these words, but he told them, _Calm down! We'll show her during the talent event!_

They simply smiled and curtsied at Mrs. Duvall. At which point the broken down old queen giggled and said, "Six point nine!"

Star and Bubbles beamed at her. Next judge, seven point two. Her husband, seven point four. Misty's dad, seven point nine. Misty, seven point five. Star and Bubbles did a curtsy after each of the judges ratings, as instructed by their trainer.

After being awarded their score, Jet was told to wait with the other trainers until the talent competition started. Jet did the math in his head, "I think our initial presentation scored us an average somewhere around a seven point three. That's not bad, considering the fact that they judge teams on a stricter standard then they do singles. Good thing you two were able to stay in sync with those curtsies, I think that's what saved us."

Both Pokémon smiled at Jet. He grinned at them as well and said, "Keep up the good work, you two. We'll get that Ribbon, and you two will be registered contest winners!"

Both little pink Pokémon seemed very excited at the prospect, but Jet couldn't help but feel like a father taking his preschool daughters to a beauty pageant. He preferred battling Pokémon, by far. All of these little routines he had practiced with them just seemed exhausting to him.

Soon Jet met up with AJ. AJ grinned at Jet's little pageant entries and said, "I think the color pink suits you!"

"Ha-ha." Jet said as he took a seat, "How'd you score?"

"Eight-point-o average."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "Really?"

"Yup," said AJ as his Butterfree introduced itself to Jet's Pokémon, "They really liked the unusual designs on my Buterfree's wings. How'd it go for you?"

"Seven point three, I think." Jet said as Bubbles played with one of Butterfree's antennas, "I think that's good."

"Better than what some of these other jokers got. The real competition is that Ninetales. She got a nine-point-o."

Jet looked over at the fire-fox, "Seriously? How do I compete with that?"

"Hope that it does a terrible job in the talent show." AJ shrugged.

**XXX**

Ninetales as it turned out, scored an average of seven point one in the talent portion. She barked and danced to the Elvis Presley's _Hound Dog_. While her dance was very reminiscent of the king himself, her barking sounded less like she was singing with the song and more of just random barking.

Butterfree did aerial acrobatics, which garnered it a six point five. The real competition in this category, however, was a prodigiously talented Meowth who played the Charlie Brown theme song on the piano. His average score was a nine point eight, which averaged with his initial appraisal score of six point seven brought his average up to eight point three.

Jet was worried about the other team entry and what they threat they may pose to Star and Bubbles. Or at least he was until the Plusle and Minun started fire-juggling.

When it was Jet's turn, Lily asked, "You guys ready?" Both Star and Bubbles nodded nervously. Jet bent down and smiled at them, "You two will do fine! Just have fun with it like we do in rehearsals! I'll be cheering you on the whole time!"

Star gave a halfhearted smile while Bubbles winked at Jet. Violet said, "Good luck Jet! Just stare at the back wall! That way you won't even notice the audience!"

Jet thanked her, and soon found himself being led on stage arm in arm with Lily to introduce his Pokémon. Taking Violets advice, Jet looked at the back wall as he said into the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen! It is my honor to present to you tonight Star and Bubbles, who will be dancing to Nat King Cole's _Unforgettable!_"

The crowd applauded politely and the lights dimmed. The spotlight suddenly shown on Side of the stage, where Bubbles and Star entered by way of the waltz while _Unforgettable _played over the loudspeakers. They were extremely light on their feet, and glided gracefully across the stage in perfect harmony. Jet found his heart beating inside his chest despite the soft music. He watched as his Pokémon dipped, spun and glided for the TV audience. He grinned as he saw the smiles on the judges faces through the dim light. Then, suddenly, the music changed. It picked up pace as the trumpets sounded, and Star and Bubbles transitioned with from the waltz to a little soft shoe as _The Swing is Really the Thing _played. They tapped danced across the stage in perfect sync, doing the routine that Jet had found YouTube weeks prior to the pageant.

Then the music changed again, to Michael Jackson's _Beat It_. They imitated the dance from the music video and lip synced the lyrics to the audience's delight. They did their little spins and crotch bumps. Then the music changed again to another Jazz beat, and both Star and Bubbles started doing the Charleston. Jet couldn't help but laugh as the little pink Pokémon kicked their feet and swung their arms to and fro. He could feel their excitement radiating from them as they picked up speed and did their routine. The music changed a final time and they went right back into the waltz as Nat King Cole sung:

_That's why it's so incredible,_

_That someone so, unforgettable,_

_Thinks that I'm, unforgettable too!_

Star dipped Bubbles and when the music stopped, both Pokémon took a bow. The crowd gave a standing ovation and cheered Jet's Pokémon on as they gave them a curtsy and joined Jet at the far side of the stage with Lily. Jet grinned at them and yelled, "You girls did amazing! I'm so proud of you!" Over the cheering crowd.

Lily gestured for Jet and his Pokémon to join her at the center stage. The stood there with her as the judges put up their scores. Misty put up a nine point four, and the crowd applauded enthusiastically. Her dad put up a nine and received more applause. Mr. Calloway; Eight point nine. Mrs. Calloway; a solid nine. Then Mrs. Duvall; a nine point six!

Jet felt as though his heart was beating out of his chest as Lily said, "A great score, for a great performance! How are you and your Pokémon feeling right now, Jet?"

She handed the microphone to Jet as his Pokémon jumped for joy behind him. He grinned at Lily and said "Incredible! These two did an amazing job!"

Lily turned to the camera and said, "Well it looks like the newcomers this year are scoring higher than expected. Who will be the one to win the Contest Ribbon? Find out, after a word from out sponsors!"

Lily then turned to Jet and said, "You can wait back stage with your Pokémon now! Great job by the way!"

"Thank you!" Jet said breathlessly. He then caught Misty's eye and mouthed the words, _I love you!_ Misty tried to hide her grin but was unsuccessful. Jet laughed and went back stage. Star and Bubbles were elated once they got back there and began hoping around again. Jet smiled at them and tried to calculate his score.

His markings from the talent portion averaged out to about a nine point one. Average that with his initial presentation and that brought his new score to about an eight point two. That put them just above Ninetales, who had an eight point one, and just below Meowth, who had an eight point three. He felt as though he were in an exciting battle and both trainers were down to their last Pokémon. Just one final event and they were as good as in.

**XXX**

The final event of the pageant was the move presentation. Because this was a beauty contest, the judges were grading each Pokémon not on the power or effectiveness of their attack, but rather the style in which the attack was used.

In this category, everyone seemed to be having trouble. Plusle and Minun came first. A generic attack dummy was brought out on center stage. Both Pokémon were ordered to attack and they chose to use Thundershock in unison. While the double attack was no doubt effect and set the attack dummy ablaze, the judges did not find the attack very stylish and scored it low.

A new dummy was brought out and it was Butterfree's turn. AJ had Butterfree do a form of Gust in which it flew around its target at high speeds creating a small vortex. It then shot a powerful gust of wind at its target. The target was completely destroyed, and the pieces of the dummy flew around in the vortex for a short while before dropping to the ground. AJ was scored an eight point five for this attack, which gave him the highest score he received all night.

Meowth had scored low with his Night-slash. He cut the target completely in half, but did so without the flair the judges were looking for. Snubbull used Fire Fang, but ran into the same problem as Meowth; the attack was effective but it just had no flare.

It was Jet's turn, and he led his Pokémon onto the stage. The attack dummy was at the center of the stage. Jet turned to his Pokémon, and said, "Star, Bubbles, use Bounce!"

Both Pokémon rolled into little pink balls and hopped into the air. Once they were about to land, they hit the ground hard and bounced high into the air. Star and Bubbles bounced around the stage, striking midair poses as they reached the height of their trajectory. Jet was using his mind to tell them where to bounce next, what poses to do, and coordinating their trajectories so they regularly crisscrossed in an acrobatic fashion.

After about thirty seconds of their little acrobatic show, it was time to strike. _Star, hit 'em high! Bubbles, use Rollout to hit 'em low! Ready? Go!_

Star bounced high into the air and floated near the ceiling. Meanwhile, Bubbles transitioned from a Bounce attack to a Rollout on the opposite end of the stage. They both flew at their target at once with very satisfying results. Star dropped down until she was on the side of the dummy, and then Bounced up and crashed into her target's torso at the same exact time Bubbles smashed into the dummy's lower half. The reduced the attack dummy to splinters, all before doing a little spin and standing up simultaneously to give a bow.

The crowd applauded at their showmanship and the judges gave them an average of eight point four. That gave them an overall average of eight point eight, putting them in first place. The crowd cheered louder as Jet's Pokémon began to hop around again in elation. Jet couldn't stop grinning, and thanked the judges as they were led back stage.

Next up was the final contestant, Ninetales. Her trainer, a guy who went by the name of Mark, confidently told her, "Use Fire Spin!"

Ninetales released a large torrent of flames which engulfed her opponent in a beautiful, fiery vortex. The crowd clapped at the beautiful display, and Mark told his Pokémon, "Now for the grand finale!"

Ninetales lifted her head and howled as her eyes began to glow. Suddenly, the vortex rose and condensed itself into a ball of fire. The fire ball lowered itself on the dummy and engulfed it once more until it ran out of energy and smoldered itself out. While this form of Fire Spin was probably not very effective in battle due to the time it took to use, it was beautiful to look at and required a tremendous amount of control on Ninetales' part. The crowd gave Ninetales a standing ovation and the judges gave her an average score of eight point five.

**XXX**

"Ok, so the competition this year has been pretty fierce," Violet announced to the audience once the final event was over, "but it looks as though we have not one, but _two_ ties tonight!"

"That's right," said Daisy, "And we all know how we settle tie breakers in a Pokémon contest! Let's bring our out our winning contestants!"

Jet and AJ walked out with their Pokémon, as well as Mark, (Ninetales' Trainer) and Sonya, (Meowth's Trainer), and their Pokémon. Everyone waved at the audience as they clapped for the winning Pokémon.\

"Alright," Lily said to the audience, "So tied for third place is AJ and Sonya! Tied for first place, is Mark and Jethro! Here's how this is going to work!"

Violet spoke next, "First we'll have the battle for third place. Butterfree and Meowth will duke it out to see who gets the Contest Ribbon!"

Daisy then said, "Now with Jet and Mark it's going to be a little more complicated because one is a single entry and the other is a pair entry. And so, Mark can either battle with his Ninetales and one of his other Pokémon. _Or,_ in the event Mark cannot provide another Pokémon to battle with, Jet must choose which of his Pokémon will go toe to toe with Ninetales."

"The winner, of course, gets the first place ribbon, (or _ribbons_ in Jet's case!), and the loser gets the second place ribbon!"

"So, Mark," asked Lily, "Do you have another Pokémon you want to assist Ninetales for a two on two match, or would you rather Jet choose one of his Pokémon for a one on one battle?"

Jet's heart was beating fast. _This is it! This will determine whether or not we go home with the first place ribbon! Battling I can do! Like that old lady said, my Pokémon are all trained fighters!_

Mark looked at Clefable and Wigglytuff appraisingly and smirked. "Well, now isn't this a bit of a twist? They really are trying to make me work for my first place ribbon, aren't they? I suppose I'd rather do a two on two. Put on a better show for my fans!"

The crowd cheered loudly as Mark waved at them with a smug grin. Jet grinned too, _Two on two is just fine with me!_

**Author's Notes:**

**The following is a full list of all Jet's Pokémon in the order of which they were captured:**

**Charmeleon/Thorn – Level 41, Male**

**Pidgeot/Sora – Level 34, Female (evolved early)**

**Rattata/Remi – Level 23, Male**

**Fearow/Foghorn – Level 24, Female**

**Primeape/Pugsly – Level 31, Male**

**Beedrill/Hornet – Level 26, Male**

**Butterfree/Butters – Level 22, Male**

**Raichu/Spark – Level 38, Male**

**Gyarados/Hydra – Level 37, Female**

**Graveler/Boulder – Level 33, Male**

**Clefable/Star – Level 22, Female**

**Wigglytuff/Bubbles - Level 21, Female**

**Golbat/Mina – Level 23, Female**

**Kadabra/Neo – Level 38, Male**

**Victreebel/Quasimodo – Level 27, Male**

**Gloom/Toadstool – Level 21, Female**

**Arbok/Cobra – Level 30, Female**

**Sandslash/Sonic – Level 25, Male**

**Goldeen/Dori – Level 22, Female**

**Noctowl/Hedwig – Level 23, Female**

**Krabby/Mr. Krabs – Level 22, Male**

**Scyther/Mantis – Level 36, Female**

**Diglett/Morocco Mole – Level 27, Male**

**Drowzee/Morpheus – Level 24, Male**

**Nidorino/Dino – Level 23, Male (Jet hasn't used the moonstone on him yet because he's clumsy as shit at a Nidorino!)**

**Nidoqueen/Fran Sinclair – Level 26, Female**

**Machop/Tyson – Level 24 Male**

**Magnemite/Magneto – Level 23**

**Electrode/Cell – Level 29 (Evolved early)**

**Grimer/Stinkmeaner – Level 27 Male**

**Staryu/Patrick Star – Level 25**

**Meowth – Sphinx – Level 25 Female**

**It should be noted that none of these Pokémon were caught in their evolved form. Jet prefers to catch them in their first form and then train them. Also, I was asked why Thorn is always the highest level Pokémon on Jet's team. It's mainly because when I'm playing the games, I always prefer to train my favorite a little stronger than everyone else. Call me vein.**

**You may ask why Hydra isn't stronger? It's a little harder to train her because she is already in her final evolution. Plus Jet usually doesn't pull her out in trainer battles due to her habit of intimidating anyone she meets. That's life I guess; they judge you before they even get to know you!**

**Next chapter will see the final event in the pageant; the battles! (aka the good shit!)**

**Please review!**


	54. And the Ribbon Goes Too

And the Ribbon Goes Too…

Jet watched with the rest of the crowd as AJ stood opposite his opponent while Lily explained the rules of the match. His phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Jet took the phone out and saw that his mother was calling him.

"Yeah, mom, kind of busy right now."

"I know honey, we can see the back of your head on the TV screen! We are so proud of you for getting this far!"

Jet smiled, "Thanks but-"

"Oh, oh! Your dad says to kick that long haired guy's ass!"

Jet allowed himself a laugh. Then his mom said, "Let me put you on speaker!"

"Mom! I'll call you when the competition is over, I have to go!"

"Fine, fine," said Jet's mom in an amused voice, "Go win that ribbon baby!"

In the time it took Jet to get off the phone with his mom, AJ had already won his battle. Meowth never even stood a chance. The crowd cheered loudly for Butterfree's victory, and Daisy got on the microphone.

"Ok, looks like we have our third place winner! Let's give it up one more time for AJ and his Butterfree!" The crowd applauded yet again as Lily and Violet presented AJ with his Ribbon. After which time Daisy called Jet and Mark up to take their places for battle.

On either side of Jet were his Clefable and Wigglytuff. Across from them, Mark stood with his Ninetales and a Pokeball in his hand. Violet stood between them as the editor of the match, "This will be a two on two match between Jethro Brown and Mark Menkis. Both Pokémon on either side will battle until they are no longer able to do so, or until they forfeit. Changing out Pokémon in the middle of a match is not permitted. Once you recall a Pokémon, they will be considered out of play! The winner of this battle will receive the ribbon for first place while the loser gets the ribbon for second place. Do both trainer's accept these terms?"

Both Jet and Mark answered yes. Daisy smiled and said, "Alright then, call out your first Pokémon!"

Jet turned to his left side and said, "Star, you're up first."

She looked up at Jet nervously and nodded. She then stepped forward and prepared herself for the fight to come. Mark threw a pokeball into the air and said, "Come on out!" A small Vulpix appeared before Clefable and barked. Jet realized breeding Vulpix must be Mark's specialty.

Daisy called to both trainers, "Begin!"

"Vulpix, use Quick Attack!"

"Use Thunderbolt!"

Vulpix shot at Clefable and slammed into her. Clefable, however, did a quick recovery and blasted Vulpix back with a bolt of electricity. The little fire Pokémon yelped as it was knocked into the air by the force of the blast.

Jet smiled. Both Clefable and Wigglytuff were trained to fight by Jet's Raichu back when he was injured and sent to Jet's parents. Therefore, both of them had a lot of practice with using electric attacks. Of course, Clefable's Thunderbolt wasn't nearly as powerful as Raichu's, but it did cause considerable damage to Vulpix.

She struggled to get up but found that her limbs were numb from all of the electricity. Mark called to his Vulpix, "Are you ok? Come on, Vulpix, don't quit on me! Get up and use Ember!"

Jet realized before Mark did that Vulpix was paralyzed. This meant Clefable would be able to get close enough for a physical attack before having to dodge Vulpix's fire attacks.

"Star, close the distance and use Thunder Punch!"

Clefable glided across to her opponent as if walking on air, and struck Vulpix with multiple Thunder Punches. Vulpix yelped in pain as each blow was dealt; powerless to stop the attack.

"No Vulpix, use your Ember on her!"

Vulpix let out a yelped again and let out a small torrent of flames. The attack was very slow due to the paralysis, however, and Clefable jumped the attack with ease. While in midair, Clefable received a mental command from Jet, _Use Bounce!_

Wasting no time, she curled herself into a ball and slammed down hard on Vulpix's head. Vulpix was knocked out, and Jet had Clefable stop before she could attack again.

"Vulpix is unable to battle! The first round goes to Clefable!"

The crowd applauded enthusiastically as Mark recalled his Vulpix. At the judges Panel, Misty's dad turned to her and said, "Well that was quick!"

Misty laughed, "Yeah. If there is one thing I can say about Jet, he knows how to raise his Pokémon to be fighters."

Mark had a sour look on his face as he called out to Jet, "I underestimated your Clefable. I was unaware that such a Pokémon was fit for battling."

Jet called back, "All Pokémon are fit for battle, Menkis! They wouldn't be Pokémon if it were otherwise."

Mark nodded and turned to Ninetales, "You're up! Don't take it easy on them! Burn them until they give in!"

Ninetales walked forward while growling. Then, suddenly she attacked. She charged at Clefable and used what looked like a powerful bite attack. Clefable dodged quickly by jumping out the way, but Ninetales turned her head and shot Clefable in midair with Flame Burst.

The attack exploded with a loud BANG, and Clefable shot across the stage and fell to the ground. Jet frantically ran over to her. She stood up before he got to her. Clefable was winded and slightly burned, but still able to fight. Jet let out a sigh of relief, "You worried me for a second there! That attack looks dangerous; make sure you stay on the outside and do not let her hit you!"

Clefable nodded weakly and marched back over to face her opponent. Jet contacted her mentally and said, _If you see an opening, use Thunderwave. I want to slow this bitch down, you got me?_ Clefable agreed and began to circle her now growling opponent. Ninetales glared at Clefable for a second, and then went in for the attack again. This time, Clefable was ready for her. She jumped straight up in the air as high as the ceiling, and sent another Thunderbolt crashing down on her opponent.

The electric attack did not have the same effect on Ninetales as it did Vulpix, however. Ninetales shrugged the attack off as one would a weak punch and sent another Flame Burst at Clefable. The attack missed, but just barely. Mark yelled to Ninetales, "Use Dark Pulse, girl! You have this match in the bag!"

Ninetales opened her mouth and shot pulse of dark energy in Clefable's direction. The little pink pixy Pokémon somersaulted out of the way of the attack, but soon found herself running in fear as Ninetales shot a torrent of Dark Pulses at her. Jet gritted his teeth; he needed away out of this. If only he could get Clefable paralyze Ninetales to slow it down.

_Star, in the air, now!_

Clefable jumped into the air and flew over her opponent. Ninetales opened her mouth to shoot a Flame Burst at Clefable, but Jet had other plans, _Now! Bounce down and grab her!_

Clefable shot herself down and bounced on Ninetales head before she could attack. While the attack didn't do much damage, it did knock Ninetales off guard long enough for Clefable to grab onto her.

"Now Star! Use Thunderwave! And put everything you got into it!"

Ninetales yelped as Clefable shocked her. Mark yelled to his Pokémon, "Buck her off! Hit her with your tails until she let's go!"

Ninetales began to buck, but found it harder and harder to move. Finally she summoned all of her will power, and used an altered form of Dark Pulse that shot out of her whole body in a short ranged surround attack. Clefable was knocked off her back and flew back a couple of meters. Everyone, her trainer included, was surprised by her improvised attack.

_That Ninetales is amazing!_ Jet thought to himself, _The way she alters her attacks for the situation she's in! She's a fucking prodigy! Still, it looks like the Thunderwave did its job. Now Star is free to attack!_

Jet called to Clefable, "Alright, hit her with another Thunderbolt!"

Clefable nodded and began to gather energy for the attack. Ninetales struggled to move her limbs but couldn't. However, upon seeing Clefable prepare to attack, she willed herself to turn her head enough so she could launch a Flame Burst.

While her body was now slow, the speed of her fire was not. The attack hit Clefable just as she was about to release her Thunderbolt and knocked her out cold.

"Clefable is unable to battle, Ninetales is the winner!" The crowd went wild at Ninetales performance. Jet recalled Clefable back into her pokeball, "Rest now, girl. You did more than enough!"

Daisy asked Mark, "It looks as though your Ninetales is paralyzed. Do you want to stop the match, or keep going?"

Mark responded, "Even slightly paralyzed my Ninetales is going to take down that Wigglytuff! You saw her make short work of that Clefable!"

Jet had to admit, that Ninetales was a fierce opponent. Clefable was more powerful than Wigglytuff, which worried Jet a little. It seemed that Ninetales had a high special defense, and Jet wasn't sure how long the paralysis would last. Still, for all of Clefable's skills there was one technique in which his Wigglytuff was a pro that Clefable just couldn't seem to master. That one technique could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

"Ok, it looks like Ninetales is still going to fight," Daisy announced to the crowd. She then turned to Jet, "Whenever you're ready!"

Jet turned to Wigglytuff and nodded. Wigglytuff walked forward, ready to avenge her sister. Ninetales growled menacingly at Wigglytuff. Jet gave her a mental command, _Use Defense Curl!_

Wigglytuff curled into a defensive ball as Ninetales growled at her. The crowd laughed; evidently they thought her actions were out of cowardice.

Mark laughed too, "Ok, let's end this! Use Fire Spin!"

"Rollout!"

Wigglytuff shot out of the way of Ninetales attack and began to circle her opponent to gain momentum. _That's it girl!_ Said Jet, _I'll let you know which direction her attacks are coming from; just don't get hit!_ Wigglytuff was quite skilled when it came to this attack, though Clefable had always been found wanting when it came to Rollout. The attack was also type effective against Ninetales, which meant if executed correctly it would give Wigglytuff a fighting chance.

"Ninetales, use Fire Blast!"

Because Ninetales could not reposition herself due to the paralysis, she had to wait until Wigglytuff was in her line of sight to attack. Once she released her Flameburst, Jet told Wigglytuff, _Three o' clock!_

Wigglytuff made a sharp turn and avoided the attack. She then shot at Ninetales and struck her; hard. Ninetales let out a little yelp as she was knocked back and to the ground. She was unable to stand back up when she got hit with another Rollout, then another, then another.

"Wait for her to come to you, then use Flame Burst!"

Ninetales did as she was told, but Wigglytuff narrowly avoided the strike thanks to Jet's mental command. She hit with another Rollout. Ninetales yelped again as Wigglytuff slammed into her ribs, none too gently.

After the attack, Wigglytuff rolled around some more, gaining more momentum. Mark called to Ninetales, "Do that Dark Pulse thing you did earlier to disrupt her attack!"

This gave Jet an idea. He called to Wigglytuff, "Bubbles, attack!"

Wigglytuff shot at her foe. Ninetales prepared herself to use Dark Pulse when Jet told his Pokémon, _Now jump above her! High as you can go!_

Wigglytuff jumped into the air just as Ninetales released her attack. Once Wigglytuff was at the height of her trajectory, Jet yelled, "Now Bounce!"

Wigglytuff shot downward and bounced off her opponents head as Ninetales was recovering energy from her last Dark Pulse. After crashing into her with a loud _THUMP_, Wigglytuff bounced back into the air and repeated her attack; multiple times. Ninetales yelped with pain every time Wigglytuff slammed down on her. After the fifth Bounce, Jet called to Wigglytuff, "That's enough!"

Wigglytuff landed six feet from Ninetales and began to pant heavily. Those attacks were beginning to take their toll on her as well. Jet turned to Mark and said, "I don't think your Pokémon has much left in her. You want to end the match now and save her more suffering, or do you want to keep going?"

Mark gritted his teeth and answered by calling to his Ninetales, "Flame Burst, now!"

Jet would've never believed it had he have not seen it for himself, but Ninetales had one last attack in her. Catching Wigglytuff off guard, she shot a powerful Flameburst which knocked out Wigglytuff on impact. There was a moment of shocked silence as it registered that Jet had lost and Mark and his Ninetales won.

"Umm," Daisy said uncertainly, "Wigglytuff is unable to battle, Ninetales is the winner!"

The audience applauded, though less enthusiastically than they had all night. Many of them felt the shot was cheap, and many seemed to be turning to their friends and muttering about the outcome of the match.

Jet recalled his Wigglytuff while still a little in shock. He had given Mark an out. That little moment of mercy Jet had showed his opponent cost him first place. He looked over at the judge panel to Misty. She wasn't looking at Jet, but rather staring at Mark with disbelief while muttering something angrily to her father.

Daisy walked over to Mark, who had recalled his Pokémon, and said, "Well for a moment there it looked as though you were getting second place. How do you feel now that you've turned the tables and have won first place three years in a row?"

Mark grinned at the camera as he said into the microphone, "Well, Daisy, I feel like a million bucks! I can't take all the credit, though! It was thanks to the tireless hard work of my prized Ninetales that we have been able to come this far! My opponent put up a valiant fight, but I think in the end we all saw who had the better Pokémon!"

Daisy allowed herself a smile, "Well you certainly surprised us all her tonight!"

She then walked over to Jet and gave him an apologetic look before asking, "How do you feel about coming so close to first place, only to lose it at the last second?"

For a moment, Jet's mind went blank. How was he supposed to feel? Cheated? Humiliated? Deciding it best to take the high road, Jet simply said, "It's disappointing, I'll admit. However, I think my Pokémon did a great job tonight and I couldn't be prouder of them."

Daisy smiled at him, "Well said!"

**XXX**

After the ceremony in which Jet was awarded a second place ribbon for both Clefable and Wigglytuff, Jet went back stage with the rest of the contestants. There was food and drinks back there, along with photographers and reporters.

One of the reporters walked up to Jet and said, "Jethro Brown, how do you feel abou-"

"No comment," Jet said dismissively.

The reporter looked taken aback and said, "But I just need a few-"

"I said no comment," Jet said with such irritation in his voice that the reporter backed off. Not before, however mumbling the word, "Asshole," under his breath. Misty walked up to Jet and said, "Still hate doing those interviews, I see."

Jet grunted, "You know I don't like the spotlight."

Misty smiled, "For someone who doesn't like the spotlight, you certainly seemed to be in it a lot!"

Jet half smiled back, "Yeah, it's a curse."

Mark walked past and Misty scowled, "I tried to convince the other judges to try and overturn the battle results!"

Jet raised his eyebrows, "But he won! He didn't do anything illegal."

Misty sucked her teeth, "Just because something isn't against the rules doesn't make it right!"

Jet smirked at her. She frowned and asked, "What?"

"You're like a momma bear!"

Misty rolled her eyes and punched Jet in the arm, "Shut up!"

Jet laughed and said, "I love you too, Misty!"

"Shut up!"

"Whatever you say, momma bear!" Jet said smirking.

Misty grumbled, "You're a dick!"

"And you're beautiful," Jet replied. Misty couldn't help herself, she broke out into a grin. Jet laughed and said, "There it goes! Isn't that so much easier than being so grumpy all the time?"

"Oh, and you're a ray of sunshine yourself?" Misty retorted, "Your temper is just as bad as mine is!"

Jet shook his head, "No its not! If it was, I would have knocked Mark out right there on the stage for that dumb shit he pulled!"

"Aha!" Misty exclaimed, "So you do feel cheated out of first place!"

Jet ran his fingers through his hair, "Not necessarily; I just kind of wish he'd showed me the same respect I showed him and warned me before continuing the match. At least then it'd be fair, you know? My Pokémon worked too hard to lose to a cheap shot. If they won, or loss, I'd rather it be in a fair fight."

Misty nodded, "I can respect that."

Jet noticed AJ by the snack bar and said, "I'll be right back. I want to talk to AJ for a minute."

Misty nodded and walked over to talk to Violet. Jet went over to AJ, who shook his head when he saw Jet.

"Man, that was a damn shame what that guy did out there! No honor in it at all. I was rootin' for you too!"

Jet shrugged, "I know you were. Congratulations on your victory, by the way! Not that I thought for a second you would lose."

AJ laughed, "Yeah, these coordinators have little to no talent for battling. That Ninetales was good, but the trainer had no clue what he was doing in terms of how he was battling."

"I know," agreed Jet, "There were at least six times I counted where Ninetales would have had me if Mark just knew what attack to use."

"I counted seven," AJ said with a smirk, "but maybe you were too close to the match to see."

Jet grabbed a plate and started loading it with little sandwiches, "You heard of Bill Brooke, right?"

"Course," AJ replied, "What do you take me for?"

"He owns this Battle Club in Cerulean Cape."

"Heard about it," AJ said, "Was thinking about heading there next week."

Jet shook his head, "Thursday."

AJ frowned, "Why Thursday, that when you heading down there?"

Jet took a bite of one of his sandwiches and said, "Because Thursday Bill Brooke will be there. I want to introduce you to him. I think he'd like you."

AJ raised his eyebrows, "You know Bill Brooke?"

Jet nodded, "You coming?"

"Oh hell yeah!" AJ said enthusiastically. "Let me get your number." Jet told AJ his phone number and gave him the information on how to get to the Battle Club. After this, he bade AJ farewell and went to go find Misty.

He was intercepted, however, by a lovely brunette in a dark green dress. "Jethro Brown," she asked, "I'm a big fan of yours! I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?"

Jet frowned, "No comment."

She raised an eyebrow, "How do you know I'm a reporter?"

Jet snorted, "'I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?' Come on, lady, you can be a little more inconspicuous than that."

He went to move past her, but she tried to stop him again, "Please, my editor has been trying to get an interview from you for months! Do you know how good it would look for me if I was the one that got you to open up?"

Jet kept walking and called back to her, "Not interested, lady!"

**Author's Notes:**

***Mark's Team:**

**Vulpix – Level 16, Female**

**Ninetales – Level 31, Female**

**Jet is gathering more and more notoriety as a trainer; despite his distaste for the spotlight. How will this affect his journey as he moves forward to collect more badges?**

**And what happens when you put AJ and Bill together in a room with Jet? What battles will ensue? What tomfoolery will they get themselves into?**

**And what of Jet and Misty? Will they end up getting back together or will they continue to drift apart? Is there even room for Misty in Jet's life as his career as a trainer grows more and more successful?**

**Find out soon! And as always, please share your thoughts on the new chapter!**


	55. Jethro's New Project

Jethro's New Project

Jet woke up to bright sunlight as Misty opened the curtains to her room. He grunted and pulled the blanket over his head. Misty, however, had other ideas. She pulled the blanket off the bed and said, "Come on! Up! I'm leaving for work in a half hour and I got to drop you off."

Jet sat up and said irritably, "Can't I just sleep in and take a cab?"

"And eat up all my cereal?" Misty laughed, "I don't think so, buddy! C'mon, get up so I can make the bed. And brush your teeth so I don't have to smell your morning breath!"

Jet grumbled incomprehensively but got out of bed all the same. He went into the bathroom as Misty made her bed. They had slept over at each other's apartments for three nights straight without any major incident. As Jet brushed his teeth, he thought to himself that perhaps this meant they were getting back together. He doubted it; Misty could hold grudges like no other. Still, a guy could hope.

After washing up and getting dressed, Jet followed Misty to her car so she could drop him off. For the first five minutes of the car ride, there was complete silence between them as Misty listened to her morning radio.

Jet found this practice of hers extremely irritating, as she played her music at high volumes despite the fact that he hadn't fully woken up yet.

"You mind turning that down, a little?"

Misty took a sip of her coffee and said, "We've been through this, Jet! I need my music to wake up in the morning!"

Jet reclined his seat irritably and put his hood up. Misty sucked her teeth and turned the radio off, "Are you really going to sit there and throw a tantrum, Jet? Are you four?"

"What tantrum?" Jet asked, clearly annoyed, "I just put my seat back, I'm not even mad!"

"Oh, ho!" Misty gave a sarcastic laugh, "you're definitely mad!"

Jet was about to retort, but stopped himself, "You're trying to pick a fight, aren't you?"

Misty gave another sarcastic laugh, "_I'm _trying to pick a fight? You're the one sulking like a fucking toddler!"

Jet put his seat back up and glared at Misty, "You're so-" But exactly what Misty was, she never found out. Jet's phone began to ring loudly. Jet checked the caller ID and saw it was Bill calling. Deciding he'd rather talk to his boss than pick a fight with his girlfriend, Jet answered the call.

"Yo, anyone ever tell you that you call way too early in the morning?" Jet informed him.

Bill laughed and said, _"You say that every time I call! Listen, I'm heading to the club a little early, so I need you to come early too."_

"Yeah?" Jet replied, "How early we talking?"

"_Noon."_

"That's not that bad," Jet said, nonchalantly, "But listen, there's this trainer I want you to meet later tonight. This guy AJ."

"_Oh really?" _Bill asked curiously, _"What's so special about him?"_

"His style of training," Jet said while scratching his nose, "You'll see when he battles tonight. This guy is going to the regionals soon, I guarantee it."

Bill laughed, _"And I suppose you know this from past experience?"_

"Don't believe me then," Jet said, amused, "see for yourself! You're the one that likes to network with all the big names, right? I got a feeling about this one. He's gonna be big."

"_Alright, mate, bring him down! Just be at the club at noon, got it?"_

"Yeah, boss," Jet replied, "I'll be there."

Bill hung up, and Jet reclined his seat once more. Misty gave him a sideways glance and asked, "He still replacing you as manager?"

"Yup," Jet answered while closing his eyes, "I meet my replacement tonight."

Misty was silent for a second, and then asked, "You upset about it at all?"

"Nope."

Misty bit her lip and asked, "So what are you going to do now that you don't have a job anymore?"

Jet shrugged, "I'm good for money."

"I _know _that!" Misty said with a hint of impatience in her voice, "I mean are you staying in town or what?"

Jet thought about his answer, "For a little bit, I suppose. I want to start collecting badges again. I was thinking about heading to Chestnut Hill to challenge the Gym there."

"In _Chestnut Hill?_" Misty scoffed, "That Gym isn't even a real challenge! That guy hands out badges like candy on Halloween!"

Jet opened his eyes and looked at Misty, "Do you want me to stay?"

Misty felt her cheeks go hot, "What? Don't be-"

"Because if you asked me to stay," Jet cut over her, "I might just be tempted to."

Misty stayed silent for a moment. She then said in a flat voice, "We're broken up, Jet. You and I going to have to cut the cord sometime."

Jet felt a tightness in his throat at these words. He didn't say anything else to Misty for the rest of the ride, nor she him. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Misty pulled up in front of Jet's apartment building.

Jet unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "Thanks for the ride." Without another word, he got out of the car, shut the door, and left Misty behind without turning back.

**XXX**

Jet opened the door to the VIP room of the battle club. Bill was already there talking with Johnny, (the promoter), Andre, (head of security), and a girl Jet didn't know. At the sound of the door closing, Bill looked up and said, "There you are. Jethro, this is Tina, Tina, this is Jethro."

Tina stood up to shake Jet's hand and asked, "You really the one who showed Bill how to evolve a Magikarp?"

Since the time Jet showed Bill how he evolved Hydra, Bill had single handedly trained and evolved about five Magikarp into Gyarados. He made headlines as the world record holder for evolving more Magikarp than any other trainer in history.

Jet laughed, "Nah, I just showed him how I evolved mine. Bill reinvented the regiment I used. That's all him."

Bill took a sip of his drink before saying, "I've been having trainers from all over the world ask me what my secret is."

Jet sat down in a chair opposite Bill and asked, "And what do you say?"

"I tell them I'm writing a book about it soon. They can buy a copy and learn for themselves."

Jet smirked, "Always the entrepreneur, aren't you?"

"Yeah, well," Bill looked pleased with himself, "we all have our talents. Johnny, Andre, why don't you take Ms. Tina here and show her around the club? Give me and Jethro some privacy."

Bill waited until the three of them left before telling Jet, "Pour yourself a drink, mate."

Jet leaned over the coffee table between them, grabbed a glass, and poured himself a small amount of scotch. Bill pointed to the door and said, "That girl there, _lightning _beneath the sheets! I could have her give you a go if you'd like."

Jet shook his head, "I think I'll pass. Thanks, though."

Bill leaned back and took another sip of his drink, "One of these days I'm going to get you to loosen up mate! You're too young to be so damn grim all the time."

"Yeah, yeah," Jet said taking a sip of his scotch, "but you didn't bring me out here to sleep with random hookers now did you?"

Bill laughed, "She's no hooker, mate! She's you're replacement! She used to work as an administrator at the Goldenrod Gym!"

Jet raised his eyebrow, "Then why did you ask me-? You know what, never mind!" He laughed and took another sip.

Bill looked out to the sand pit and said, "The DJ is a nice touch."

"Yeah," Jet said while pouring himself another glass, "Got the idea from this battle club out in Viridian."

"You don't say?" said Bill thoughtfully, "So what do you think of my opening a chain of these battle clubs? I've experimented with this one, and it seems mildly successful. Those battle competitions you've been holding have been bringing in the crowds."

"I think," Jet began, "You should change the name. Nothing stupid like 'Faust' and nothing as cheesy as 'Bill's Battle Club'."

Bill snorted, "Cheesy, is it?"

"It's corny," Jet continued, "You want to make the place cool. You want to make it the chill spot not just for trainers, but everyone who loves watching battles but have nothing to do with their night."

Bill nodded, "Fair point."

Jet frowned, "This what you wanted to come in early to talk to me about? The chain of Battle Clubs? I thought you said last week that you wanted my advice for a new idea you had. We already talked about the whole Battle Club thing over the phone, I have nothing to offer you there. You're better off hiring-"

"No, you're not business oriented enough for me to need you for that," Bill said waving his hand impatiently, "I was just making conversation. I got this other thing; something big."

Jet leaned forward and said, "I'm listening."

"Pokémon Daycare." Bill said, "Incorporated."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "A chain of Pokémon daycare centers? I don't get it. How is this new?"

Bill stood up and said, "How many Daycare Centers do you know that aren't independent businesses?"

Jet frowned, "None. But I don't see your point."

"People take their Pokémon to daycare when they want someone else to train their Pokémon _for_ them!" Bill began enthusiastically, "But I'm thinking that we standardize the training at Daycare locations across the region so when a Trainer drops their Pokémon off, they get the same experience as they would being trained by myself!"

Jet started to catch on, "So you want make an standard operating procedure for raising Pokémon? That's- actually, that's a pretty fucking good idea!"

Bill sat back down and leaned forward, "It has to be done right! I need experienced trainers, gym leaders, field experts, as many as I can find. I want an SOP for training every type of Pokémon! I want to label that shit, and sell it to everyone who wants their Pokémon trained the same way the champs train their own! This shit is going to be my legacy! I am going to redefine how Pokémon training is done!

"I got the idea from standardizing the training regimen I used to evolve all those Magikarp. Everyone thinks it's impossible, but you were right! If you just have patience and some creative thinking, a Magikarp can learn to fight just as any other Pokémon!"

"Glad I can help," Jet said, "But still, I'm not sure if I can fully endorse people relying on an outside source to train their Pokémon. Working with them face to face is the best way to build a bond."

Bill nodded, "No one is denying that, mate. Let me ask you a question; Haven't you ever wondered how your Pokémon got so strong, so fast while so many other trainers are stuck with low level fighters?"

Jet laughed, "I always just attributed it to having a talent for training. Some people are athletes, some are singers. I just happen to be a gifted trainer."

Bill smiled, "No one is denying that, mate. But it isn't _just_ skill. It's because you're out there in the field of fire battling your Pokémon, day and night, perfecting their attacks and building your bond. Every trainer that has accomplished anything has done the same. It comes down to tenacity mate. And not all trainers have that. They want strong Pokémon, but they don't want to train them their selves. It's dangerous work. It's dirty work. It's hard as hell, especially if you don't know what you're doing and don't have a strategy oriented mind."

"Ok," Jet said, "So not everybody has what it takes to training in the field. I get it."

Bill poured himself another glass and said, "People love Pokémon. They love battling with them. They love keeping them as pets. However, the sad truth of it is, most people _hate_ training their Pokémon! If they don't have confidence, their Pokémon don't listen. If the Pokémon doesn't listen or respect the trainer, how can the trainer properly teach that Pokémon attacks? Assuming they even know _how_ to! If the Pokémon doesn't learn how to fight properly, it will lose battles and won't be able to grow. It's a vicious cycle.

"I want to provide a service in which we teach the Pokémon how to fight _for_ the trainer, so they can battle together and grow together!"

Jet smirked, "Yeah, yeah, you just want people to give you money because you can raise their Pokémon better than they can!"

Bill laughed and pointed at Jet, "Hit the nail on the hammer with that one, you did! But let me ask you another question; how many trainer's will benefit from a guide book that shows them _how_ to raise a Pokémon properly?"

Jet took a sip of his scotch and smiled, "I could think of a few people."

Bill put his glass down and pulled a check out of his jacket, "For you, mate."

Jet looked down at the check; it was made out to a hundred thousand dollars.

"Bill, what-"

Bill picked his glass back up and said, "I once owned no Gyarados, and now I have five. Each one of them is worth much more than that check you hold in your hand. I am currently writing a how to guide on how to evolve a Magikarp. I'm now setting plans in motion for one of the biggest business ventures of my _life_, mate. Almost as big as the storage system; which I worked on with teams of other people by the way! You started all this. This is your compensation. It's not a gift, or charity. It's nothing more than what you deserve. Now take the bloody check."

Jet was at a loss for words, so he just folded the check and put it in his pocket. Bill took another sip and said, "I want you helping me write this SOP, Jethro. You're collecting data for Oak, yes? Keep a journal for _me_. I know you keep records and journals on training methods and battle strategies. Keep doing what you're doing, but do it for me. This project of mine, it's going to take years to finish. I already have a few trainers sending me their ideas for this thing, but I want you on board too. Let's say, one report a month on new training methods and battle strategies that you think may add on to our venture, and I will review your findings and pay you accordingly for what you give me. How much you get paid will depend on the contents of your reports. Give me crap, and you'll get pennies. Stumble on another gold mine like you did with that Magikarp training regimen, and find yourself _properly _rewarded for your efforts. What do you say, Jethro? Do we have an accord?"

Bill held out his hand, and Jet took it, smiling, "When's my deadline?"

"The fifteenth of every month, starting next month. I already have your information to set up a direct deposit. We're making history, here, Jethro. You're part of something big, now."

Jet nodded, "This SOP, we're doing, who's all going to be involved?"

"As many experts as I can find," Bill answered, "Why?"

Jet leaned back and said, "I think I can get Professor Oak to cosign this thing. I may have to stop by Pallet Town to talk to him."

Bill grinned and said, "Taking initiative, I like that! Come now, let's have another drink!"

**XXX**

AJ walked into the battle club to music playing over the loudspeakers. There were a bunch of trainers there, along with other youngsters who seemed to be just spectating. AJ walked up to the security guy who was checking ID's.

"Hey, a guy named Jet told me to meet him here. He sa-"

"You AJ?"

AJ nodded. The bouncer pointed at a door all the way to the right of the club, "Straight through the door, up the stairs, into the VIP room."

Surprised that Jet was able to get him into the VIP, AJ followed the Bouncer's directions up the stairs. When he arrived in the VIP, he opened the door to find Bill Brooke pouring drinks for his guests. The room had about nine girls inside, (All with short skirts and high heels), a barkeep, Jet, a couple security gaurds, and Bill Brooke himself. When Jet saw AJ come in he waved him over.

"AJ Thompson, meet Bill Brooke; Bill, this is the trainer I told you about."

Bill shook AJ's hand and said, "Here, come take a shot with us!"

AJ scratched the back of his head and said, "Sure, I'm down!"

Bill poured an extra glass and said, "Alright ladies, all at once now!" Everyone took a shot together and slammed down their shot glasses. The girls all went "Woooo!" And Bill began to pour more shots. Jet laughed and said, "I'm out, dude, I'm already way past my limit!"

Bill chuckled, "You can't stop now, mate! This is the first time I've seen you drunk! I want to see how far we can take this! Come now, let's do body shots!"

A couple of girls started to giggle as Bill called for the bartender to bring limes, sugar, salt, and southern comfort. AJ turned to Jet and asked, "Aren't you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends?"

Jet laughed, "I would if I knew any of them! Wherever Bill goes, a flock of beautiful girls always seems to find him!" He was clearly heavily intoxicated. AJ made it his goal for the night to get as drunk as Jet was; more so if he could manage it.

Bill told one of the girls, "Mandy, if you would, love?"

A cute blonde grinned at Jet as she pulled her shirt up slightly to reveal her stomach and laid flat on the couch. Bill placed a lime in her mouth, sprinkled some sugar and salt on her belly, and poured a small shot of Southern Comfort in her naval. He then told Jet, "It's real simple, mate. Take the shot, lick the sugar, and take the lime, got it?"

As an answer, Jet leaned down and sipped the drink from Mandy's naval, licked her belly slowly, and took the lime from her mouth before making out with her. He then stood up and told Bill, "If I need instructions, I'll let you know."

Mandy giggled and began to rub on Jet's chest. They then sat down in a chair together and started making out again. Bill turned to AJ and said, "Your turn, mate!"

Several body shots were done that night. Jet and Mandy disappeared for a little while AJ told Bill and the girls about how he got into Pokémon training. He told them about his hundred wins and his lost to Surge. Tina, a girl that was sitting on Bill's lap, said, "Oh wow, all that work for nothing!"

Bill turned to Tina, "Little tactless, love, don't you think?" He then turned back to AJ, "I know Surge. Right asshole he is. Still felt kind of bad for him when I heard what Jethro's Charmeleon did to his Beartic."

AJ looked at Bill curiously, "Wait, what did he do to Surge's Pokémon?"

"Killed it." Bill said nonchalantly, "They resuscitated it but I think it's paralyzed. It was all over the news."

AJ laughed, "Well I'll be damned! Never figured Jet for the blood thirsty type."

Bill nodded in AJ's direction and said, "When he gets back, you two should battle! I need some entertainment. Most of the trainers in this place aren't exactly the most talented people in the world. I want a real fight."

One of the girls asked Bill, "Why don't you just battle him? I don't think your friend's coming back for a while!"

Bill shook his head, "That wouldn't even be a competition, love."

**XXX**

Jet did not get back for another half hour. Upon entering the room, Jet announced to everyone, "We ordered pizza! Should be here in a little bit!"

Mandy walked in the room behind Jet. Her hair was slightly puffed up and she wore a little smile on her face as she joined some of the other girls by the window to watch the battles below.

Jet flopped down in a chair near AJ, Bill, and Tina and asked, "So AJ, where've you been training at lately? I know you didn't stay in Viridian for the past six months."

AJ looked at Bill and then back at Jet, "All over. I've been to Saffron City, Okra Village, Lavender Town. I actually spent a whole day training in the Pokémon tower."

Jet sat up, interested. "What's it like there?"

The Pokémon Tower was the nick name for an old abandoned prison that was infested with Ghastly and Haunter. It was shut down years ago when the warden was unable to get rid of these ghosts, and they ended up killing a bunch of the residents within. Nowadays the place was blocked off from all humans in the area. Still, brave trainers have attempted to sneak in and capture one of the ghosts for themselves, but few had ever returned to tell the tale.

"It's some intense shit, man!" AJ had informed Jet, "I refused to go during dark because that's when all of the Ghastly are awake. But there are skeletons of dead bodies all over the place. Plus there's like an ongoing war in there between all the Cubone and all the Rattata. I saw three Cubone facing like twenty Rattata at once while I was there. I barely escaped with my life!"

Jet laughed, "Holy shit, I got to go there!"

Tina stared, "So you here there's a dangerous place filled with bloodthirsty rats and ghosts and you want to _go_ there?"

"And _that_, love," Bill said grinning, "Is exactly why Jethro here is a _real_ trainer. Too many Pokémon Trainers lack tenacity. You have to go to the most dangerous places and face the strongest enemies if you want to grow stronger."

AJ raised his glass, "Amen, brother! Nobody got anywhere by catching wild Pidgey that eat bread in the park! You got to go down in the sewers and battle your way through the weak ass Rattata before you can capture the prized Raticate!"

Jet laughed and said, "That a true story, AJ?"

"Yep," AJ said, nonchalantly, "Took weeks for me and my Poliwhirl to stop stinking. That Raticate, though, talented fighter. Works hard in every battle. When you find one Pokémon that rose above the dregs to evolve into something more, you know you caught yourself a fighter!"

"Couldn't agree more!" Laughed Bill.

Jet shook his head, "I prefer to catch them young. Every Pokémon has potential. I'd love to visit the Pokémon tower though! I've been spending my time out here training at that old abandoned power plant."

Bill snapped his fingers and pointed at Jet, "That's where I caught my first Elekid!"

"Wait," Tina interjected, "What power plant?"

"Yeah," AJ asked, interested, "what power plant?"

The old abandoned Power Plant Jet and Bill were talking about was down the river from Cerulean Cape. It was huge, and full of electric Pokémon. The story went that seventy years ago, back when power plants used Pokémon to help generate energy, a Magneton got tired of working for the humans and escaped, releasing his Magnemite brethren in the process. The half electric half steel type Pokémon laid waste to the power plant. The Voltorb and Electrode got loose as well and joined the killing spree. Ever since, the place has become a breeding ground for electric types, and a dangerous one at that.

"I got to go there!" AJ said excitedly, "I don't have any electric type Pokémon!"

Jet smiled and said, "I'll come with you, show you around. Besides, I've been looking for an Elekid down there but haven't found one yet."

Bill chimed in, "Oh, they're down there! I'll go with you two. I have an Eevee that I believe is close to evolving. Maybe some training down there may help her evolve into a Jolteon."

"That's how my Pikachu evolved," Jet said, casually, "He ended up frying a wild Grimer and became a Raichu. There is so much static electricity in the air at that place."

Tina shook her head, "You three are crazy! I can't believe you would willingly walk into place with hundreds of Pokémon just waiting to fry you there!"

Bill, AJ, and Jet all stared at Tina for a second in silence. Jet then asked, "So, yeah, this weekend sound good? We can all meet here Saturday around noon."

AJ nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan."

Bill clapped his hands together and said, "You two need to battle! I've been waiting for a good fight all night!"

Jet shook his head, "Dude, I'm faded as shit right now! I'm not going to send my Pokémon into battle while I'm inebriated; not happening. Tomorrow though," he turned to AJ, "If you stop by round eight. We'll battle sober; a real match."

AJ laughed, "You mean you never tried battling drunk? It's fun as hell. Shit, I'm thinking about going down there and earning me some money right now!"

Jet shrugged and leaned back, "Have fun."

AJ left the VIP ten minutes later to battle in the sand pit. Bill sent Tina away to watch the fights by the window with the other girls. He leaned in and told Jet, "Your boy there seems to know what he's talking about, but he doesn't like talking about his training methods! And the whole whip thing is way too unorthodox."

Jet nodded and said, "I can see that."

Bill then asked, "What about your friends? The one with the glasses and the redhead? They as good as you?"

"No." Jet wouldn't talk ill of his friends, but he realized a while ago that they are still rookies. Perhaps they got better over the past few months, but when Jet last saw them they were doing little things they shouldn't. Brian only trained his Pokémon by having them constantly battle instead of perfecting their attacks as he should, and he didn't have the confidence to command respect from untamed Pokémon. Amy did a good job with Ivysaur, but she neglected her other Pokémon. Neither, Jet knew, would be fit to help write Bill's how to manuals until they improved.

"Misty's good though." Jet said as an afterthought, "She has a mainly offensive style that's a little similar to my own. If she spent as much time training her Pokémon as I did, she'd probably end up better than Surge in a matter of months."

Bill raised his eyebrows, "You think you're better than Surge?"

Jet laughed, "Not yet, but I bet you by the end of the year I'll surpass him!"

Bill stood up and asked, "Could you bring Misty here tomorrow night for an interview? I just want to talk to her, see if she's interested."

Jet wasn't very enthusiastic about talking to Misty again, but he said, "Sure."

**Author's Notes:**

**Most of the next chapter is going to be all battles. Soon Jet will be back in action! What challenges will our heroes face at the abandoned Power Plant? How will he fair against an unorthodox trainer like AJ? Find out in the next chapter!**

**And as always, please review!**


	56. Survival Mode

**Author's Notes:**

**One thing I frequently get asked is if Jet will start training next gen Pokémon. He will train a few, but I want to limit how many he trains in the story in case I end up moving on to different regions. It will take a while to get there, but I already started planning his Johto adventure.**

Survival Mode

Jet walked into the Cerulean Gym and went straight to Misty's office. Upon entering, he found Misty sitting at her desk with a sandwich and vitamin water. She looked up at him with surprise, "Hey. Wasn't expecting to see you here today."

Jet sat down in the chair opposite his ex and said, "I'm actually here on business."

Misty put down her sandwich and frowned, "Business? What do you mean? You look like crap, by the way. What happened to you?"

Jet gave a half-hearted smile, "Slight hangover. Nothing important. Never mind that, listen; I'm working on this research project with Bill Brooke and he would like to interview you on your style of training Pokémon."

Misty laughed, "Wait what? _Research Project?_ What are you even talking about?"

Jet ran his hand through his hair. His head was pounding, and more than anything he just wanted to leave Misty's office and go to sleep.

"Look, Bill would like to talk to you tonight around seven at the battle club. He's willing to pay you for your time if you choose to come."

Misty frowned at Jet, "Are you still mad at me or something?"

Jet shook his head, "I'm not mad, I just have a headache."

Misty stood up and grabbed Jet's hand, "C'mon, up! We're going to get you some food."

Jet stared at her, "Why are you being so nice all of the sudden?"

Misty put her hands on her hips, "What, I can't be nice?" She then took a deep breath and went to wrap up her sandwich, "Get up, Jet! We're going to go cure your hangover!"

**XXX**

Two hours later Misty was on top of Jet, riding and moaning. They had gone out to a local café so Jet could eat some food and drink some tea. Afterwards Misty apologized for picking a fight with Jet the previous day and somehow they ended up back at her apartment.

She rode faster and began to scratch Jet's arms, "Oh shit!" The faster she moved the closer Jet felt he was getting to climax. He looked up and Misty and said, "Slow down!"

Misty looked Jet in the eyes and moved faster, "Don't you cum! Don't you dare fucking cum!"

For whatever reason, Misty's challenge seemed to make it even harder for Jet to hold back, but he tried with all his might. Within a few short minutes, however, it was all over. Misty laid down next to Jet, panting.

"What the fuck, Jet? I was so close!"

Jet laughed. Misty frowned at him and said, "It isn't funny! You did that shit on purpose!"

Jet looked over at Misty and smiled, "It's a compliment!"

Misty rolled her eyes, "Keep your compliments! Hurry up, I want to go again!"

"Umm," Jet frowned at her, "Why don't we just get in the shower?"

"No! It's always awkward in the shower!"

Jet kissed her and said, "It doesn't have to be! I wash you," he kissed her neck, "You wash me," he kissed her breast, "And then we figure things out from there!"

He began to kiss her naval. Then her inner thigh. Misty said, "Alright, let's go," she got out of bed and turned to Jet, "But you're finishing what you started in the shower!"

Jet laughed as he stood up to follow her. _Thank you Bill!_ He thought to himself.

**XXX**

Jet got Misty to agree to talk to Bill at the Battle Club. While Bill interviewed Misty, Jet still had to help his replacement transition into the new job. Jet showed her the section of the building they were expanding into a small kitchen.

"Once we get the kitchen set up," Jet told her, "The customer's will be able to eat while they watch the battles. When I first started working here, the only real attraction was the sand pit. The only way this place makes enough profit though, is if you give them a reason to _stay_ while they watch the battles. That's why we added the DJ, the pool table, the air hockey, the arcade games-"

"Basically turning this place into every teenage boy's fantasy, huh?" Tina asked with a smirk.

Jet laughed, "If I could get girls dancing on the tables I would! Of course, I think I'm pushing the budget far enough as it is. We just installed that safety rail by the sand pit so none of the trainers fall in and the Pokémon don't fall out."

"Is that likely?" Tina asked curiously.

Jet shrugged, "I once saw a Gyarados knock an Onix into the crowd. It was a miracle nobody got hurt."

"What?!" Tina exclaimed, "Who owned the Gyarados, Bill?"

"Me," Jet answered, "This was before Bill ever evolved one of his Magikarp."

They had to raise their voices as they got closer to the sand pit. Everyone was cheering as a particularly good fight was commencing between two Machop. As Jet watched the Pokémon battle, he wished AJ would hurry up so they could do their battle.

"You want to hold a battle competition every couple of weeks," Jet yelled over the music, "That's where the real revenue comes in!"

"What do you mean?" Tina asked, "Like a grand prix tournament?"

Jet grinned at her and said, "I'll show you!"

He then went up to Johnny and said, "After this match, cut the music! I got a little challenge for any trainer's willing to take it!"

Johnny smirked at Jet and asked, "What do you got planned?"

"Just a little competition; get the blood flowing and everything!"

After the fight between the two Machop was over, Jet was given the mic as the music cut off. He turned to the crowd of trainers and said, "I have a little challenge for any trainer who is willing to take it! For one hundred dollars, you can face me in a one on one match. If you win the match, I will give you three thousand dollars. Those are thirty to one odds! Do I have any takers?"

The crowd erupted with challengers enthusiastically holding up their money to face Jet. Jet turned to Johnny and said in a low voice, "Pick the opponents. When I beat one of them, send another in their place. I want to get a little survival mode thing going on."

**XXX**

First opponent, (a young lass named Sharon), stood opposite to Jet. Johnny announced over the mic, "Ok, ladies and Gentlemen! These will be single battles only! I repeat, single battles only! If Sharon here can beat Jet, then she wins a three thousand dollar prize. Does she have what it takes? Let's find out! Sharon, send out your first Pokémon!"

Sharon threw a pokeball on the air and said, "Go, Pidgeotto!"

Jet sent out his own Pokémon, "Let's go, Remi!"

His Rattata was sent into the sand pit to face the large bird Pokémon. Johnny started the match, and Sharon shouted, "Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack!"

Jet called, "Remi, Thunder Wave!"

Jet's Rattata waited until his opponent was near, and then released an electric discharge that paralyzed Pidgeotto causing it to fall to the ground. Jet then told Rattata, "Now finish 'em! Use Wild Charge!"

Rattata surrounded himself with a veil of electricity and charged at his opponent. The attack had a bit of recoil, but it knocked out Pidgeotto all the same. After Sharon recalled her Pokémon, Jet yelled, "Next!"

Johnny picked another trainer, (a youngster named Arnold), to battle. Jet showed no sign of recalling his Rattata, so Arnold sent out a Geodude.

"Begin!"

Arnold yelled to Geodude, "Use Tackle attack!"

Jet told Rattata, "Use Dig!"

Rattata dug underground before Geodude could strike. Arnold had Geodude use Magnitude, thinking the seismic energy would affect Rattata even if he was underground. In theory this would work. However, the sand cushioned the seismic waves, leaving Rattata unharmed. Rattata shot out of the ground and launched Geodude into the air. Jet then told Rattata, "Finish him, use Iron Tail!"

Rattata's tail began to glow as it took on a steel type aura, making it about as hard as an iron crowbar. Rattata then ran in for the attack when his opponent landed, leaped into the air, and slammed his tail down as hard as he could, knocking Geodude out.

"Geodude is unable to battle, Rattata is the winner!"

Tina whispered in Jet's ear, "That's one powerful Rattata!"

Jet smiled and whispered back, "I trained him with my Raichu and my Charmeleon! He knows some pretty sick moves. You haven't seen anything yet!"

Jet's next opponent was a black school kid named Kyle. Kyle pulled a great ball from his belt and summoned a Machop. Jet immediately told Rattata mentally; _Watch out for his Low Kick and Low Sweep! Machop tend to learn those attacks early. Don't get nervous! Just pretend you're sparring with Tyson again, except this time you're pulling out all the stops!_

"Begin!"

"Machop, use Karate Chop!"

"Remi, use Dig!"

Machop missed his attack, but his opponent yelled, "Use dig too, and go after that little rat!"

Machop went underground and Jet smiled, "I like this kid!"

Jet was going to try to sense what was going on underground, but a second later both Pokémon emerged from underground. Machop had grabbed Rattata's tail and was now transitioning into a seismic toss. Jet yelled, "Remi, use Thunderwave!"

Remi once again let out a discharge of electricity to paralyze his opponent. Macho let go, however, once he felt the shock going up his arms. Rattata was sent flying, but landed upright and faced his opponent.

"Remi, use Flame Wheel!"

Rattata surrounded himself with a veil of flames and rolled into a ball. He then shot at Machop, who jumped the attack and landed a safe distance away.

"Machop, use Karate Chop!"

Machop moved to swung his arm down to strike his opponent, but his arm was still numb from Rattata's Thunder Wave. Sensing this, Kyle changed tactics, "Try Low Kick!"

"Use Double Team, Remi!"

Remi circled Machop at high speeds, creating several after images of himself to throw off his opponent's attack.

"Use Low Sweep, Machop!"

Machop swept his leg in a circular motion, striking Rattata and sent him flying. Machop immediately followed up this attack with an uppercut to the gut, and then tossed Rattata into the wall. Upon hitting said wall, Rattata became dazed and his vision blurred. Machop ran at Rattata, but the little Pokémon had one small trick up his sleeve.

Rattata gathered his senses just long enough to kick sand into his foes eyes, allowing him to limp away and recover from Machop's last attack.

"Wipe the sand away, Machop!" Kyle told his Pokémon, "You almost got him! Another Low Sweep should do the trick!"

Jet had to admit, Kyle was right. That last attack took a lot out of his Pokémon. Only one thing to do, "Remi, use Rest!"

Rattata didn't need telling twice. Using one of his favorite moves, Rattata put himself in a self-induced sleep that caused his body to become fully healed. Everyone found themselves surprised; Rest was a move that was supposed to be used outside of battle. Using the attack during battle was nothing short of suicide.

"Rattata is unable-"

"The fuck he is unable to battle!" Jet yelled to Johnny, "Keep the fight going!"

Kyle called to Jet and said, "I can't do it, man! That's fucked up; they should take your license away!"

Jet laughed and said, "For Christ's sake, Remi! Wake up!" Jet said the command mentally as well as out loud. He was hoping to lure Machop in and use Snore, but it looked as though that strategy wouldn't work in their current situation. Rattata woke up immediately and looked at his opponent, slightly confused. Once he realized he was in a fight, he stood up and took a fighting stance.

There was a gasp of surprise from the crowd. Kyle looked at Jet in disbelief, "Yo! How'd you do that?"

Jet yelled back, "Practice! Now can we continue?"

"Oh, yeah!" Kyle turned to Machop and said, "Um, use Low Sweep!"

Unfortunately for them, however, Rattata took advantage of their moment of hesitation to grab one of Machop's legs with Hyperfang. Jet called to his Pokémon, "Nice one, Remi! Now use a full powered Thunder Wave!"

Rattata shocked his foe, this time causing full body paralysis. Jet then called off his Pokémon and said, "Remi was able to wake up, but I doubt your Machop can fight off the paralysis before my Pokémon's next attack. Do you wish to keep going, or end it here?"

Kyle let out an irritated sigh and recalled his Machop, "Nah, man, you got that."

The crowd started cheering for Rattata. Rattata looked up at Jet and he smiled down on him, _Great job, Remi! I think you can handle some more victims, what do you think?_

Rattata waved his tail enthusiastically and growled cutely, ready for the next opponent. Jet looked up and asked the crowd, "Whose next?"

A chubby Bug Catcher with curly hair and a signature green jacket stepped up and said, "I'm next; hope you're ready!"

Jet smiled at his opponent and said, "Let's do this Johnny!"

Johnny asked the Bug Catcher, "What's your name, kid?"

"Tom."

"Alright Tom, you know the rules," Johnny announced, this is a one on one that ends when either Pokémon is unable or unwilling to battle! Send out your Pokémon whenever you're ready!"

Tom threw a Net Ball and called forth a Beedrill. Jet became a little worried; those stingers were dangerous as hell. He now wished that he had Rattata train with his Scyther and his own Beedrill. Still, He had faith in his Pokémon.

"Begin!" announced Johnny.

Tom told his Pokémon, "Use Horn Attack, Beedrill!"

Beedrill shot at Rattata. Thinking fast, Rattata used Dig and went underground. Once Beedrill missed, his trainer told him, "In the air so he can't attack you!"

Beedrill rose to the ceiling. Jet called to Rattata, "Use Thundershock, Remi!"

Rattata popped out of the ground and used Thundershock. Beedrill easily dodged the attack and flew at its opponent. Jet told Remi, "Use Double Team!"

Rattata used double team and surrounded his opponent with after images. Beedrill rapidly began stabbing at the after images one at a time. He was so fast that Remi had to stop his technique to start dipping and dodging. Jet called to his Pokémon mentally, _Dodge into your opponent and strike with Sucker Punch!_

Beedrill spun and did a slashing attack. Rattata dipped the attack and desperately used the dark type move Sucker Punch with his little paw. The attack struck and surprisingly caused Beedrill to flinch in surprise. Taking advantage, Jet told his Pokémon, _Use Quick Attack!_

Rattata charged Beedrill and struck him in the chest. Beedrill was knocked back. Jet called to his Pokémon, "Use Thunder Wave!"

Beedrill quickly recovered and dodged the attack. Tom told his Pokémon, "Use Poison Tail!"

Beedrill flew down at Rattata. Jet yelled, "Repeat fire!"

Rattata used Thunder Wave again. This time, however, Beedrill flew straight into the attack. Just like Pidgeotto did earlier, Beedrill crashed into the sand after becoming paralyzed. Jet then followed up by saying, "Finish him with Flame Wheel!"

And finish him Rattata did. After a speedy Flame Wheel attack, Beedrill was now knocked out, and Rattata started evolving into a Raticate. The crowd started cheering again as Remi stood up on his hind legs and growled at his fallen opponent.

Jet recalled his newly evolved Pokémon and said, "Great job, buddy!" Before shrinking the pokeball and replacing it on his belt. Jet then turned to Johnny and said, "I'm heading up to VIP. Call me down when AJ gets here. He'll be my next opponent."

Johnny nodded and said, "You got it, boss." He then got on the mic and said, "Alright people! We're going back to three on three's! Next numbers up are thirty one and thirty two!"

Jet walked up the steps to the VIP followed by Tina. She asked, "Do you do that often? Battle the customers I mean?"

Jet laughed, "Every week!"

"Do you ever lose?"

"No," Jet replied, "But that doesn't stop them from challenging me. Thank god too; this place is great for practice."

Jet and Tina walked into the VIP. Bill looked over at Jet and said, "Can't help showing off, huh mate?"

"Showing off?" Jet asked, "Nah, dude, that's just training."

He sat down next to Misty. She pointed at the sand pit and said, "No, Jet, that was show boating."

"I don't show boat." Jet said while yawning, "I got to offer a big enough prize to where they'll want to battle even after they see what I did to the last guy's Pokémon."

"Whatever," said Misty with a sly smile.

**XXX**

As the night went on, Bill had called several trainers up to the VIP, (all of which were girls). Bill started making drinks, but Jet refused to take any shots until he got to battle AJ.

He got his chance around eight thirty when Johnny called his name over the loud speaker to announce his opponent was waiting. Everyone in the VIP went down to the sand pit together to watch the match. When Jet saw AJ, he gave him a half handshake, half hug and said, "I've been waiting for you all night, man! You sure took your time."

AJ laughed and said, "Yeah, man, I kind of got lost on the way down here!"

Bill told Johnny, "Hey, tell the DJ to cut the music. I want to hear the fight, not Black Sabbath.

Johnny nodded and said, "You got it, sir!"

Jet asked AJ, "How much you betting?"

AJ thought about it and said, "Might as well go big, right? Call it a grand!"

Jet nodded and said, "Fine. We're doing the house rules, though. Three on three, no switching; pretty basic shit."

"I can live with that."

Bill clapped his hands together and said, "Ok, let's get this started already!"

Jet and AJ took their places. Johnny called to the crowd, "Ok, ok, we have a special show for you tonight! Last night, AJ here cleaned up with five straight wins! Tonight, he will be going against the club's very own Jethro Brown! Place your bets now, people! I have a feeling this is going to get bloody! Will both trainers send out their first Pokémon?"

AJ went first, "Go, Pinser!"

When AJ's Pinsir was sent out, Jet was conflicted on who to choose. His Charmeleon would be just too easy; he'd probably destroy Pinsir without breaking a sweat. Deciding it best to send someone out without a type advantage or disadvantage, he threw a pokeball and said, "Let's go, Mantis!"

Jet's Scyther was sent into the sand pit to a moderate applause. Johnny said, "Two deadly Bug Pokémon! Who will take the win? It's time to find out; BEGIN!"

AJ cracked his whip twice in the air. Jet told Scyther mentally, _Pinsir will attack high! Launch him in the air with Metal Claw and then follow up with Steel Wing!_

Sure enough, Jet was right. Pinsir heard the whip crack and went in for Scyther's neck. Scyther followed Jet's instructions and used Metal Claw to hit Pinser into the air, and then she flew after him and struck with a Steel Wing attack. Her speed was amazing; she was able to strike Pinsir with Steel wing while he was still in midair.

AJ cracked his whip two more times and Pinsir recovered before Scyther's next strike and used Dig. There was a fair bit of blood spatter on the sand next to the hole Pinsir had just dug; Metal Claw had left a large gash on Pinsir's chest.

Jet told Scyther, "Hover, girl! Use Wing Attack when it surfaces!"

AJ however, told Pinsir, "Use Rest while you're underground!"

Rest would certainly help Pinsir heal from Scyther's first attack, but Jet wasn't sure whether AJ would be able to wake Pinsir back up. Jet decided it best to ask, "Can you get him to wake up, or are you going to recall him?"

As an answer, AJ went into his bag, grabbed a blow horn, and blew it loudly. A few seconds later, Pinsir emerged from the grown, fully healed.

Misty giggled at Bill, "This guy uses a lot of gadgets in battle, doesn't he?"

Bill, however, seemed to be in deep thought. "Training his Pokémon to react to the sound of a blow horn; why have I never thought of that? It's genius!"

In the sand pit, Pinser was put on the defensive. He was currently using the technique Protect to defend himself from the oncoming flurry of blows with a barrier of pure energy. This technique was running out of energy, however, and soon Pinsir would be at his foe's mercy. Sensing this, AJ cracked his whip and yelled, "Back underground! Focus all of your energy into Harden to strengthen your shell!"

Upon hearing this command, Pinsir abandoned using Protect and went under the sand. Just in time as well, because Scyther's next attack just missed Pinsir's leg.

Jet smiled. He knew that Scyther was going to win this fight; AJ was only delaying the inevitable. Jet told Scyther, "Get on the rail and use Focus Energy!"

Scyther flew onto the rail protecting the spectators from falling into the pit. Everyone backed away nervously as Scyther perched herself there and went into a meditative state.

Pinsir had apparently finished using Harden, because he emerged from the sand to face his opponent once more. Once Pinsir emerged, Jet told Scyther, "Use Razor Wind, Mantis!"

Scyther began to hover above the pit. She then took aim, flapped her wings forcefully and shot a gust of razor sharp air at her foe. AJ cracked his whip and Pinsir once again used Dig as a defensive measure. Jet was starting to get annoyed. He told his Scyther, mentally; _Land in the pit to bait your opponent. Use focus energy and direct the power to your blades. When Pinsir emerges, strike with Slash and follow up with Pursuit!_

Scyther did as commanded but with slightly different results than Jet expected. When Pinsir emerged from the sand, Scyther side stepped his attack and struck with a back handed slash. Unlike her first Metal Claw which only left a mild gash, this attack was powered with focus energy and cut Pinsir completely in half.

There was a pained, "Ohhh," from the crowd as Pinsir's top half landed a few meters from his lower half. Blood sprayed on the sand and coated the side walls of the pit. Jet felt the shock set in and looked at AJ, horrified, "Shit, dude! I swear to God I didn't mean that to happen!"

AJ looked down at his dead Pinsir; also in shock. Misty covered her mouth with her hands. Bill shook his head and sighed, "Waste of a perfectly good Pinsir!"

AJ looked up at Jet and yelled, "The fuck, man!"

Jet, at a loss for words, yelled back, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't expecting that to happen that way!"

_I was_. Scyther thought to herself smugly. She felt her chest rise with excitement as blood dripped from her blade. She felt herself grow slightly more powerful as her foe's life ended. She always grew stronger with a kill than she ever had with a knock out. Her trainer, talented though he may be, was too easy on her opponents. He preferred to let them live for some reason unbeknown to her.

Jet called to her mentally, _Did you mean to do that?_ She knew that he knew she did, and therefor didn't try to hide it. She felt her master's exasperation as he told her, _You fought well, but perhaps it would be best if we wait until we fight wild Pokémon before you start halving your opponents?_

Personally, she didn't see what the difference was. She agreed none the less. After all, if she didn't control herself than Jet would stop using her for fights again. She loved fighting, and felt it best to probably slow down for now.

Johnny asked AJ, "Umm, sorry for your loss. Do you wish to continue?"

Jet called to AJ, "We can call the bet off! You won't have to pay anything!"

AJ turned to Jet and said, "I won't, but that Scyther will! Let's keep going! I'll honor Pinsir with Scyther's blood!"

Scyther turned to AJ and said to herself, _I like this guy!_

Jet turned to her, _Why does that not surprise me? I suppose you want to keep going?_

AJ then sent his Sandshrew into the sand pit. The very same Sandshrew, in fact, that defeated Scyther all those months ago in Vermillion.

_Oh yes,_ said Scyther, _I want to keep going!_

"Sandshrew, use Rollout!" AJ cracked his whip accordingly as he said the command.

"Bug Buzz, Mantis!"

Sandshrew rolled into a ball and shot at Scyther. Her wings began to vibrate as she sent forth a powerful sound wave that knocked Sandshrew back. AJ cracked his whip and Sandshrew, who remained curled in a ball, went underground.

"Hover, Mantis! Wait for him to come to you!"

Sandshrew suddenly popped out the ground and smashed into Scyther. Scyther was launched into the air and AJ yelled to his Pokémon, "Use Sand Tomb!"

Sandshrew raised his arms to the ceiling and caused the sand from the pit to circle Scyther and trap her in a powerful vortex. Sand began to fly everywhere causing the crowd to back away from the pit. Jet covered his eyes as he sensed his Pokémon struggling to escape the painful vortex of sand.

Jet yelled over the roar of the vortex, "Use Bug Buzz, Mantis!"

Scyther curled herself up and focused all of her power for the attack. She shot out another powerful wave of vibrations, (this time in all directions), and interrupted Sandshrew's Sand Tomb. Scyther landed on her feet inside the pit, but her body was heavily bruised from Sandshrew's last attack.

AJ persisted, however, and cracked his whip twice calling, "Use Aerial Ace!"

Sandshrew shot at Scyther and attacked with a devastating Aerial Ace. He left a large gash at Scyther's mid-section, causing her to bleed freely. Jet had a choice; either have Scyther use Roost and heal herself to prolong the match and let Scyther get her revenge, or recall her and attack with someone better suited to take out AJ's Sandshrew.

**Author's Notes:**

***Jet's Pokémon:**

**Raticate/Remi – Level 24, Male**

**Scyther/Mantis – Level 37, Female**

***AJ's Pokémon:**

**Pinsir – Level 30, Male**

**Sandshrew – Level 51, Male**

***Other**

**Sharon's Pidgeotto – Level 20, Male**

**Arnold's Geodude – Level 16, Male**

**Kyle's Machop – Level 23, Male**

**Tom's Beedrill – Level 20, Male**

**Next Chapter is the thrilling conclusion to Jet and AJ's rematch! Stay tuned!**

**And as always; Please Review!**


	57. The Burning Pit

**Author's Notes:**

**To the guest reviewer by the name EOP:**

**You asked what I plan to do with Mewtwo and team Rocket. To be honest, I don't have anything planned for Mewtwo yet. I was thinking the other day that I may do a separate story with him, since he doesn't really fit into my main story (he's one of my favorites by the way!). As for Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres; you'll see all three (some sooner than others!) sometime in this volume (volume 1 Kanto, volume 2 Johto, etc.)**

**Has anyone seen the new trailers for X and Y yet? The new Pokémon look great! Not to mention it has been confirmed that the characters will be customizable; including race! Being a mixed with multiple races myself, I think it's great to play with someone with a little color! Jet was originally going to be a Hispanic trainer, but I decided he should look like Red instead.**

**I definitely can't wait to see what Pancham evolves into! Gogoat looks pretty sweet too! I'm reserving my judgment for the other two, but I always tend to like the early Bird-Normal types. Plus it learns Flame Charge, which means it has a little diversity early in its repertoire!**

**The new region looks awesome too, as well as some of the features; riding your Gogoat and what-not. You can sit on benches, now! BENCHES, BITCH!**

**P.S.**

**Thanks again to Vriley for looking over this chapter for me!**

The Burning Pit

Jet came to the conclusion that leaving Scyther out on the field to face AJ's Sandshrew was extremely irresponsible as a trainer. He recalled her in favor of someone with a with a little more fire power.

AJ was not happy. "Are you fucking kidding me?" AJ taunted, "You're bitching out on me? Sure you can give it out well enough, but when you're the one taking it-"

Instead of responding, Jet sent out his next Pokémon, "Go, Thorn!" Jet's Charmeleon landed in the sand pit ready to do battle. Tina whispered in Bill's ear, "What's he doing? Charmeleon is at a type disadvantage against Sandshrew!"

AJ cracked his whip twice and yelled, "Rollout!"

Jet called to his own Pokémon, "Dragon Rage!"

Sandshrew rolled toward Charmeleon at an alarming rate, and ran right into his Dragon Rage. The attack blasted Sandshrew back to the far end of the pit.

Though Dragon Rage was successful in interrupting Sandshrew's Rollout, it didn't do a heavy amount of damage to the Pokémon himself. Sandshrew recovered quickly and went underground at the sound of his Master's whip.

As soon as Sandshrew went underground, Jet yelled, "On the rail!"

Charmeleon knew what Jet meant, and jumped from the pit to the rail above it. Normally, Jet would have his Pokémon follow their opponent underground. In this case, however, being underground with Sandshrew would put Charmeleon at a disadvantage. Besides, Jet had a better idea.

"Thorn, heat the sand with Flamethrower! Let's see if we can't get Sandshrew to come out and play!"

Charmeleon grinned and released a huge torrent of flames into the pit below. Many of the trainers watching the fight had to back away for fear of their safety. The heat radiating from Thorn's maw was incredible; Jet found himself starting to sweat just by standing near it for more than five seconds.

Sure enough, after a full minute of intense heat, Sandshrew jumped out of the pit and landed on the rail across from Thorn. AJ cracked his whip and Sandshrew ran on the rail toward his foe.

Jet called to his Charmeleon, "Show him your Fire Claw, Thorn!"

Thorn's claws began to glow red-hot as he ran into his opponent. Both Sandshrew and Thorn began slashing and dipping at each other while balancing on the rail of the sand pit. Jet knew the reason AJ didn't take the fight back into the pit was because the sand was still hot from Thorn's Flamethrower.

He obviously thought Sandshrew would be able to take on Thorn one on one with his claws, but he was wrong. Thorn's Fire Claw attack was leaving deep scratches and lacerations all over his foe's front. While Sandshrew was obviously at a high level, Thorn's evolution into a Charmeleon coupled with his brutal training had clearly put him at an advantage.

Seeing this, AJ cracked his whip and yelled, "Aerial Ace!"

Jet told Thorn, "Dig!"

Wasting no time, Thorn jumped into the sand pit and went underground. Sandshrew was not able to strike with Aerial Ace, so he went into the Pit after Thorn. Jet knew Thorn was at a disadvantage, so he tried to warn him mentally to get out of the Pit and head the sand once more. He was too late, however, and Sandshrew knocked Thorn out of the ground with a strong Dig.

Thorn, instead of taking the full extent of the attack, clenched his opponent as he was hit and held on while winded. Sandshrew was forced to kick off of Thorn's chest to get free. Jet's Pokémon was winded, and had a cracked rib, but he was not out of the fight.

Thinking fast, Jet told Thorn, "Burn the sand!" Thorn took as deep a breath as he could and used Flamethrower on the ground of the Pit. AJ gave his whip one good crack, and Sandshrew jumped back onto the rail to avoid the flames.

Thorn's attack was cut short, however, due to his lack of a good breath. But by putting Sandshrew back on the defensive, Jet gave his Pokémon a small amount of time to catch his breath before his next attack.

AJ yelled to his Sandshrew, "You already have him beat! Look how tired he is! Get in there and use Rollout!"

Sandshrew immediately curled into a ball and began rolling into the Pit. Thorn had caught his breath, however, and sent another Dragon Rage at his opponent. Thinking fast, Sandshrew dodged the attack and began rolling around the walls to build momentum.

Jet told Thorn, "Use Flamethrower!"

Thorn roared and fired his attack. Sandshrew moved fast enough to dodge the attack, but Thorn had covered much of the Sand Pit with flames, forcing Sandshrew to have to redirect his attack again.

Even with a cracked rib, Thorn was highly dangerous and almost impossible to get to for AJ's Sandshrew. He dodged every time Sandshrew got remotely close and showered more flames at the weary ground type. He hit Sandshrew twice and caused burns all over his body. When he didn't hit Sandshrew, he burned the area around him so Sandshrew couldn't even stay in one spot for long. The ground was hotter than ever and filled with flames. The walls were cracked and heated. Even the metal rails glowed red-hot, preventing Sandshrew from seeking refuge there as well.

Just when it seemed victory was assured, however, the fire sprinklers went off in the club. Everyone shouted angrily as water began showering down on them. Bill turned to Johnny and yelled, "Dim the lights and turn on the music, quickly!"

Johnny called for both Pokémon to cease their fight until the fire was extinguished. He then went over to the DJ to get the music put on.

As water rained down on Thorn and his foe, both Pokémon ceased their attacks. Thorn looked to the ceiling at the sprinklers. The water tingled uncomfortably as it splatted against his skin. Jet told him mentally, _Get over here, by me!_ Thorn nodded and jumped into the air before doing an aerial flip and landing on the rail in front of Jet.

Sandshrew went on the rail as well, opposite Thorn, as both Pokémon waited for the sprinklers to douse the fire. Unfortunately, the DJ had to leave due to the sprinklers wetting his equipment. Johnny was able, however to dim the lights to create the appropriate mood. The lights dimmed, leaving only the spotlights over the pit. The crowd calmed down some; but many of the trainers watching the fight began to leave. Jet told Thorn, "Use rest until the fire goes out. I'll wake you back up."

Thorn closed his eyes and fell asleep on the rail. Back on AJ's end, he asked his Pokémon, "How are those burns? Can you still fight?"

In truth, Sandshrew was fucking exhausted. He had been cut open, burned, and was now being rained upon. His wounds were paining him, and his muscles shook all over his body from the sheer strain of fighting his opponent. He looked over at his foe; Charmeleon was sitting on the rail opposite to him with his eyes closed. The water didn't even seem to bother him. Had his trainer taught him to withstand the irritation of water like AJ had taught Sandshrew? If so, then these sprinklers were not doing Sandshrew any favors.

Sandshrew felt his heart drop as he came to a conclusion; he would not win this fight. Not the way he is now. He could barely move his limbs and the pain from their battle was becoming unbearable. He realized with disdain that perhaps he should stop holding on to his current form. Perhaps it _was_ high time he let himself evolve. In truth, Sandshrew was scared. Once he crossed that road, once he let himself evolve, there was no going back.

AJ leaned in and asked urgently, "Sandshrew? Buddy? Are you ok?"

Sandshrew began evolving. He felt a rush of energy flow through every part of his body and saw a bright light. He felt as though his body was stretching itself. He felt a tingle on his back as spikes began to grow there. Before he knew it, he was no longer a Sandshrew, but a Sandslash. It felt fucking awesome!

Sandslash looked over at his opponent. Charmeleon's eyes were now open and he was growling. _Time to get to work!_

Sandslash ran into the Pit to meet his foe. Charmeleon, upon seeing Sandslash enter the Pit, jumped in after him and immediately shot a torrent of flames at him.

Sandslash quickly jumped the flames while curling into a ball. He almost hit Thorn, but the attack was narrowly avoided. Sandslash did not relent, however, and quickly transitioned from a Rollout to a backhanded Slash. He cut Charmeleon on the nape of his neck, earning him a roar of pain and a tongue of flames which were easily avoided.

Sandslash went in for more. He slashed and cut at his opponent quicker than ever. No longer was his foe's evolution a problem. He was fast yes, but Sandslash was much faster. He had given his foe over nine lacerations in a manner of seconds before jumping out the way to avoid more flames. He was going to go underground to finish his opponent with Dig, but the sand was soaked from the sprinklers. Besides, Sandslash did not need Dig, he had Rollout. And so, he rolled into a ball, and shot at his foe.

Jet watched with bated breath as Thorn jumped in the air and sent a Dragon Rage at his opponent. The attack missed; Sandslash was a lot faster thanks to his evolution. Jet knew it was a good thing Thorn had trained with Mantis to avoid her blades, otherwise he wouldn't have survived Sandslash's close quarter attacks. Still, Jet's Pokémon was bleeding all over the place. He had to end this now.

"Thorn, use Rage!"

Rage was a technique that intentionally brought out a Pokémon's killer instinct in a horrible fit of anger. Jet did not like using it against other trainer's Pokémon in case Thorn went too far and killed them, (which happened all the time with wild Pokémon), but somehow Jet figured Sandslash could take the heat.

Thorn's anger and hatred began to rise. He sent multiple torrents of whitish, blue flames at Sandslash which caused a great deal of steam to rise from the Pit. The flames hit Sandslash and knocked him back. He did not stop though, and went in for another Rollout.

AJ cracked his whip in the air. Sandslash stopped using Rollout and transitioned into an Aerial Ace. Jet told Thorn mentally, _Hidden Power! _Thorn released a burst of energy from all sides to negate Sandslash's attack. It only worked partially, however, and soon they were fighting each other in close combat again. As Thorn's rage grew, he began using more and more reckless attacks.

He ignored his foes claws and went in with Metal Claw, than Fire Fang. Sandslash left multiple gashes on Thorn's back before he let go and transitioned to an over the shoulder throwing attack. Sandslash landed against the wall of the Pit. Thorn charged at his opponent with Flame Wheel. Sandslash jumped to avoid the attack and clanged to the wall with his claws. Next thing Jet knew, both Pokémon were now fighting a vertical battle on the wall of the pit, using their claws to hold them up.

As Thorn used Ember while wall crawling, Jet got a sudden flashback of a huge Dragonite facing off against multiple foes while clanging vertically onto the deck of the sinking SS Anne. Jet remembered the fierce battle that happened in the rainstorm and felt his heart beat with anxiety as Thorn sent multiple flames at his foe.

The battle at hand, coupled with the water falling from the ceiling was giving Jet flashbacks to the night he was almost killed aboard the doomed cruise ship. He was thankful, therefor, when Thorn pounced at his opponent and sent both Pokémon crashing back into the wet sand.

Thorn now had Sandslash's back, and used another Fire Fang. Thorn also dug his claws into his opponent's wrist, pinning him to the wet ground. Soon, the sprinklers washed blood from both Pokémon into the sand, and Sandslash cried out with pain as he was helpless against Thorn's white hot fangs. AJ had no choice, he had to recall him.

What was left of the crowd cheered for Thorn as the sprinklers finally stopped. Thorn, in turn, roared and let loose a tongue of flames. The Pit was a wreck. There were puddles everywhere of water mixed with sand mixed with blood. The walls were cracked ad damaged, (even melted in some places!), and steam began to rise from the bloody sand as Jet recalled Thorn. He had taken too much damage, and probably wouldn't be up to the next bout.

AJ dropped his whip and called to Jet, "This ain't over yet, boy! I still got more up my sleeve! Go, Poliwrath!"

As Poliwrath was sent into the Pit, Jet found himself conflicted on who to go against him. His first choice was Spark, but the entire club was now soaked to the bone with water. One good Thunderbolt from his Raichu may just kill everyone there. That plan went out the window. The only other Pokémon he had on him that could take on a Poliwrath was Hydra, (Who would no doubt scare the living shit out of everyone there), and Pugsly.

"Go, Pugsly! Let's finish this!" Jet's Primeape landed in the pit with a dull thump. He faced his opponent with excitement; he was ready to beat the living shit out of Poliwrath.

"Pugsly, use Thunder Punch!"

"Poliwrath, use Water Pulse!"

Poliwrath shot a pulse of energy at Primeape, but the latter jumped the attack and came down with a hard Thunder Punch. Though the attack was an electric one, the charge was small and focused enough so that the only person harmed was AJ's Poliwrath. The attack didn't take away a lot, though, and Poliwrath struck back with Mega Punch. He knocked Primeape back and followed up with Body Slam.

Primeape was able to make a quick recovery before Poliwrath's Body Slam hit, and struck his opponent with multiple Thunder Punches. AJ called to his Pokémon, "Use Ice Beam!"

Pugsly narrowly avoided his foe's attack and went in for another Thunder Punch. Poliwrath was ready this time, however, and caught his foe's arm before sending him flying against the wall.

Pugsly repositioned himself in midair so that his feet hit the wall first. He then kicked off, and Jumped at his opponent; right when Poliwrath unleashed another powerful Ice Beam, however.

Poliwrath shot his Ice Beam at Pugsly and hit him head on. The attack not only was a clear hit, but it froze Jet's Pokémon solid.

"Primeape is unable to Battle, Poliwrath is the winner!"

The crowd cheered one last time as both Jet and AJ recalled there Pokémon. Jet found himself greatly disappointed; he thought Pugsly would put up a better fight.

Johnny announced to the disgruntled crowd, "A little hectic, but there you go, folks! AJ Thompson, still undefeated!"

The handful of trainers that made up the crowd began to congratulate AJ on his victory. After the fight, however, those who remained to see the outcome began to disperse. Finally the only ones left in the club were those who worked there, AJ, and Misty.

Jet looked over to AJ and said with a grimace, "Come with me to my office, I'll write you a check."

Thankfully, it had not rained in Jet's office, so his bag and everything within was dry. Jet pulled out his checkbook and asked AJ, "No hard feelings about what happened with your Pinsir, right? I really didn't mean for that to happen."

AJ was stone faced since winning the match. He portrayed no emotion when saying, "Don't worry about. Happens all the time. Not the first time I've lost a Pokémon in a battle, and certainly won't be the last."

Jet felt bad. He had never had any of his Pokémon killed, but he knew the pain. After all, his Raichu was once shot through the gut! He himself thought Spark was not going to make it out alive. But to see it happen like that, cut in half before your very eyes, had to be brutal.

Jet handed AJ the check and asked, "You still want to head to the power plant with me and Bill tomorrow? I understand if you don't."

AJ took the check and turned toward the door, "I'll be there." Then he left. Jet ran his fingers through his hair. Seeing AJ the next day would be awkward as hell. Whatever he had just told Jet, chances are this would turn into a grudge.

The door to Jet's office opened again, and Misty entered. "Hey," she said, "Bill wants you out front. The fire department is here. He says you got to talk to them, since your still the manager."

Jet nodded and followed Misty out the door. He only hoped to god people wouldn't start asking for their money back.


	58. The Power Plant

**Author's Notes:**

**I forgot to mention it last chapter, but AJ's Poliwrath was at level 41.**

The Power Plant

Jet found himself feeling a little car sick. He was riding in the back of AJ's jeep with AJ himself driving and Bill in the front. They were taking a shortcut to the abandoned Power Plant through an off-road pass in Cerulean Cape. The key word here being off road; every bump was making Jet feel as though he would want nothing more than to throw up and pass out.

It did not help, either, that it was almost eighty degrees Fahrenheit out and the back windows refused to roll down. It was also highly inconvenient that AJ's a/c didn't work for whatever reason. Jet found himself wishing he had just taken his motorbike instead. At least then he'd have a breeze.

Bill was telling AJ all about his adventures at the Power Plant when he was a young trainer; "So make sure those Magnemite don't gang up on you, because they always travel in packs! That's how my first Grimer died."

"How'd that happen?" AJ asked, "They all used Thunder Shock at the same time to fry'em?"

"That's _exactly_ what happened, mate!" Bill said in a warning voice, "Those fuckers know how to synchronize their attacks like you wouldn't believe! One wrong move and it's instant death!"

"Well," AJ replied, "At least it's instant. I'd rather a quick clean death than to have to suffer."

Bill shook his head, "You're mental, mate! I'd much rather die peacefully in my sleep."

"Yeah, right!" AJ scoffed, "That ain't no way to punch out! If I'm going to die, I'd rather die fightin'!"

Bill turned to Jet in the back seat, "You're awfully quiet back there! How would you die? Given the choice?"

Jet wasn't in the mood to join the conversation, "Death by snu-snu. Only way to go."

"The fuck?" AJ asked, confused, "What the hell is snu-snu?"

But exactly what snu-snu was, they never found out. For at that moment, Jet looked up and saw the Power Plant come into view, "Oh thank god we're here! I feel like I'm going to pass out!"

AJ soon pulled up to the electric fence that covered the perimeter of the facility. Everyone got out of the truck, and AJ asked, "So do we just climb over the fence and walk from here?"

Jet shook his head, "High voltage fence. It will kill you if you try to climb it."

"What?" AJ laughed, "But this place has been abandoned for years! There's no way this thing still works!"

"Oh, it does, mate!" Bill replied, "The fence was built _after_ they shut down the place. It was meant to keep Pokémon from getting out or people from going in."

"But it doesn't help," Jet said, "The Pokémon can still come and go as they please. The fence is barely an inconvenience to them. And we're going in, so I guess this thing is here as decoration."

AJ asked, "Uh, yeah, how exactly to you propose we get inside?"

As an answer, Bill sent out his Skarmory. He then said, "We'll fly in."

Jet then sent out his Pidgeot, "You two head in on Skarmory since you know the area where Elekid is found. I'll follow on Sora."

Bill nodded and said, "Sounds like a plan."

AJ, however, had his doubts about the whole thing. "Umm, y'all go 'head. I ain't so good with heights."

Bill chuckled, "Well you're just going to have to get over it, aren't you? There's only one way in the damned place! Unless you want your Sandslash to dig you a tunnel? Or maybe you'd prefer to go home? Jethro and I are going in, regardless."

AJ shifted his weight nervously, "Shit! Don't look like I got much of a choice, huh?"

Bill and AJ started to mount Skarmory. Jet mounted Sora as well. Because she was a newly evolved Pidgeot, and because she evolved earlier than most of her species, she was rather small for her final form. She was still growing, which meant Jet had to hold on extra tight to stay on. He wrapped his legs around her belly and put his arms around her neck. This wasn't the first time he ever rode Sora, but he was definitely feeling nervous when she began to take off.

The takeoff was one of the worst parts about flying with her. Sora's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of Jet. She ascended fast, so Jet felt as though his bodily organs were being left on the ground. Once she got in the air though, the flight was a lot smoother. They were about a couple hundred feet up. The wind roared in Jet's ears, but he could still hear AJ's screams as Skarmory rose into the sky with Sora. They glided over the gate and flew toward the Power Plant.

The Power Plant itself was pretty big. There were three large brick buildings in the center. Around these buildings were generators, power lines, and trailers all over the place. There was also a great deal of plant life growing on the grounds of the place due to years of neglect.

Even from up high, Jet could see dozens of Magnemite floating around. The flight was short, as they only moving a couple hundred meters before the started their landing. Jet's stomach lurched as both Sora and Skarmory began to land on the north side of the plant. AJ yelled again as Skarmory landed quickly. Jet, however, had Sora circle her way down slowly. This way the landing wasn't as uncomfortable; it could almost be a carnival ride!

When Sora landed, Jet quickly dismounted, thanked her, and recalled her. He could feel the familiar tingle of static electricity in the air that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. AJ collapsed after dismounting Skarmory; "Never again!" he exclaimed, "I'm never doing that shit again! I'll find another way out! I refuse to fly!"

Bill recalled his Skarmory and laughed, "What kind of attitude is that? I thought you were a trainer? A _real_ trainer has to learn to face his fears. Control your fear, or your Pokémon will control you."

Jet couldn't agree more, but defended AJ all the same, "Give the guy a break! You remember how nervous you were the first time you flew? It's nerve wracking shit!"

Bill nodded, "Fair point, mate. Alright, let's get on our feet, then."

Bill helped AJ up. He then pointed to the building directly in front of them and said, "This was where I found my first Elekid. I think there's a group of their kind living under the facility. They come out every now and again."

Jet frowned, "I've been in this part before and I never saw any Elekid."

AJ grunted, "What about Magneton? That's why I'm here. Are there any of those around?"

Bill nodded, "Plenty, mate. You don't want to deal with them though. They're dangerous as fuck around here because they travel in packs. Best find yourself a Magnemite and evolve it."

AJ shook his head, "Nah, that ain't how I work! If I'm going to catch a Pokémon, I want the best."

Jet highly disagreed with AJ's philosophy, but decided not to argue. Instead he sent out his Charmeleon and said, "Thorn will help us see in this place."

AJ sent out his Sandslash and said, "Looks like the hunt for a Magneton is on!"

Bill sent out his Eevee and said, "Let's find the entrance, shall we?

And so they set off. The walked around the stone building, searching for the door. AJ spotted some Magnemite floating over head and said, "Looks like we've got company."

Jet and Bill looked up. There were about five Magnemite up above them, but they paid no attention to Jet or the others. Jet scratched his head and said, "Why don't we keep going? We've got bigger fish to fry."

Bill agreed, "Besides, Magnemite are too annoying to fight. I was hoping to have Eevee fight a Voltorb or a Pikachu."

And so they continued. Jet asked Bill, "So why are you trying to evolve that Eevee anyway? Don't you already have a Jolteon?"

"I do," Bill said, "But that doesn't mean I can't have another! Getting Pokémon to evolve is sort of like a hobby of mine."

Jet looked down at Eevee and said, "I always liked Eevee. They're one of my favorite Pokémon!"

Bill laughed, "I got a new batch being born soon, I can give you a good price on them if you'd like!"

Jet smiled, "How good?"

"Only twenty grand," Bill said, "I usually sell them for thirty. Fifty for the females."

AJ turned to Bill, "Any chance I can get in on this discount?"

Bill shook his head, "Not happening, mate. No offense, but I only just met you. I do have payment plans if you want one for full price. I also sell the evolved forms, but I doubt you can afford them."

AJ looked disappointed, "Probably not."

Jet however, asked Bill, "If I gave you fifty grand, could I get two newborn males?"

Bill nodded and said, "Yeah, that's more than fair. You don't want them trained?"

Jet shook his head, "No, I'm getting them for my little brother and sister. I want them to train the Eevee themselves."

Bill laughed, "More power to them! Eevee can be a little stubborn when they're younger though. Isn't that right?" Bill asked his Eevee. The little evolution Pokémon looked up at his trainer and nudged his leg playfully. Bill then said, "I charge a small fee for shots and the like, but I know you can more than afford it."

Jet nodded and said, "When's the new litter?"

"I expect them to be born sometime in the next week, actually. I can give you a good price on an Eevee for yourself if you'd like."

Jet thought about it and said, "Not yet. I want to wait until I have some time. After that I want to get a male and female and train a whole family."

Bill laughed, "Trying to be like me, eh? Not that I blame you; it is highly rewarding. That's how I started out, by the way. When I was a kid, my mum bought me a male and a female. I started breeding them and that's how I got into the training business. Ah, here we are!"

They found a door to the inside. AJ went to open it, but found it to be locked. He turned to Sandslash and nodded to the door, "Take it down."

Sandslash kicked the door in, revealing a long, dark hallway. Jet turned to Thorn and said, "Will you do the honors?"

Thorn smiled and walked forward, lighting their way down the tunnel. There was a faint smell of sewage that flowed through the hallway. AJ coughed and asked, "What the fuck is that rancid smell?"

"Grimer," Jet said casually, "There's a lot of them in this place. You can tell if you're getting close to one if the smell gets stronger."

AJ coughed again and said, "I think the smell is getting stronger!"

And so it was. Within less than a minute, four Grimer had slithered in their path. Thorn was about to burn them but Jet held him back, "Remember what happened last time? You don't want the smell of burned Grimer floating around, do you?"

Thorn decided Jet was right, and refrained from attacking. AJ, however, told his Sandslash, "Take them out with Rollout!"

Sandslash curled into a ball and shot at the wild Grimer. Bill told his Eevee, "Don't even think about it! Once you get that smell in your fur, there's no getting it back out."

And so Eevee stayed back as well. Sandslash used Rollout to run over the Grimer, but they were able to stop him using a combined Disable. This stopped Sandslash in his tracks as they all gathered around him to smother him.

Jet had experience battling Grimer, so he knew better to attack them head on. Their body type made it difficult to get in a good physical strike. They tend to smother anything thing that attacks them physically while poisoning them and suffocating them at the same time. This is what was happening to Sandslash; after Rollout was disabled, he tried to slash the Grimer. Unfortunately, his claws got stuck in the gunk that was their body. They then sucked him in and began to smother him, four on one.

AJ quickly yelled, "Use Rapid Spin!"

Sandslash was trying to, but was stuck. He was slowly being swallowed by the zombie gook that was his opponents. Jet turned to Thorn and said, "Use Dragon Rage!"

Thorn shot a blast of energy that knocked two of the Grimer off of Sandslash. Once half of his body was free, Sandslash was able to use Rapid Spin to escape from the clutches of the Grimer. Bill told Eevee, "Knock them back with Shadow Ball!"

Eevee used Shadow Ball to blast the remaining Grimer back. Two of the Grimer began to flee. One of the Grimer hesitated, but followed suit once he saw his kin running away. The last Grimer opened his mouth wide to release Poison Gas, but Sandslash used Mud-Shot to spit mud in his mouth instead. As Grimer began choking on the mud, AJ threw a Great Ball at it and captured it.

When he went to pick it up, Bill asked, "You've never battled a Grimer before, have you?"

AJ picked up the newly captured Grimer and shook his head, "No, why?"

Jet answered, "Because otherwise you would have used Mud Shot from the beginning and avoided attacking head on. They're too difficult to fight with physical attacks. And their final form is even worse."

AJ looked surprised, "You mean their evolved form is here? At this plant?"

Jet nodded, "Thorn here once killed one. The smell was ungodly."

AJ looked down at his newly captured Pokémon and said, "Damn, I should have waited. Ah well. Thank you guys for bailing my Sandslash out."

Sandslash was trying to wipe the gunk off his body from the battle. If it wasn't for Thorn, he probably would have suffocated to death. Talented though Sandslash was, he was just not built to face off against that kind of opponent.

Jet, Bill, and AJ decided it would be best to head in a direction away from where the Grimer went. They found themselves lost for a time in which they ran into no Pokémon but a few Zubat, (which Sandslash took out with ease), and a Voltorb, (which Eevee defeated with Shadow Ball [he still didn't evolve]).

After an hour of exploring and battling random encounters with wild Pokémon, none of the trainers had gotten what they came for. Jet was beginning to get annoyed, "If there are any Elekid here, I don't think they're above the ground. I need to find them another way."

Bill turned to Jet, "How do you propose to do that?"

Jet sent out his Kadabra. He leaned down and asked him, "Neo, there is supposed to be an electric type Pokémon called Elekid somewhere near this building. Can you sense any of them?"

Kadabra closed his eyes. Jet waited patiently and hoped against hope that there was still some Elekid somewhere on the grounds of the Power Plant. Neo looked up at Jet and said mentally, _I can sense them._ Jet grinned, "Great! Lead me to them!"

Neo nodded and led the way with Thorn. Bill told Jet, "I don't know why I never thought of that! Tracking down Pokémon psychically? It's ingenious!"

Jet however, was busy talking to his Kadabra mentally and wasn't paying attention. According to Neo, there was a clan of about thirty or so Elekid and ten Electabuzz somewhere in the basement level of this building. They fed off of wild Rattata and the electric currents surrounding the area. Apparently during the day time they go outside the Power Plant to battle local Pokémon and return to their nest during the night time. Neo told Jet that there were only two Elekid currently in the Plant. One of them had lost a battle against a Geodude the previous day and was resting. The other one was sleeping in due to a long night of battling a Grimer.

Soon Neo led them to an empty elevator shaft and pointed down. He told Jet that the stairway was caved in, and this shaft was the only way down to the basement. Jet turned to Bill and AJ and asked, "Who wants to go down first?"

Bill shook his head, "I'm not going down there! If that's really the only way in or out of their nest do you really want to get trapped down there with a Muk or a Magneton?"

Jet smirked, "What happened to all that talk about conquering your fears and everything?"

AJ looked at Bill and said, "I'm with him. There's no way in hell I'm going down there."

Jet sighed, "Well then I hope you brought flashlights, because Thorn's coming with me."

Bill laughed, "You're not seriously going down that shaft, are you Jethro?"

Jet turned to his Pokémon and said, "Lead the way!"

Neo levitated himself down the shaft. AJ turned to Jet and asked, "Are you kidding me?"

Jet ignored him and jumped, catching one of the thick elevator cables and sliding down it. He heard Bill say, "He's fucking mental!" But Jet knew better; if he fell, Neo would easily catch him.

As Jet was sliding down the cables, Thorn dropped down the shaft and landed twenty feet below; leaving Bill and AJ in darkness. Bill yelled down the shaft, "You're a right asshole, mate! Now I got to use my cellphone as a light!"

Jet laughed and called up the shaft, "Should have brought a flashlight!"

A few seconds later, His feet touched solid ground as he landed on top of the out-of-service elevator with his Pokémon. Neo and Thorn led the way through the small door into the elevator, and then out of the elevator into the corridor.

Jet followed his Pokémon as they explored this new part of the Power Plant in search of Jet's target. Soon they came upon a Pokémon Jet wasn't intending to find; a Spinarak. The spider Pokémon was sucking the fluids from a now dead Paras. If Spinarak noticed Jet and company, it did not show it as it continued to drink from its victim. Jet had his Pokémon stand fast; there was no honor in catching this Pokémon while it was enjoying its meal. Thorn seemed amused by this, but growled his challenge to the Spinarak all the same. Spinarak stopped slurping and looked down at its new foe. It then hissed and began to back away. Jet told Neo, "Bring it down to the ground with Telekinesis, and then put it to sleep."

Spinarak squealed as it lost control of its body. Neo easily took control with his telekinesis and put it to sleep. Jet captured it with a Pokeball and registered it on his Pokedex. It was a male, level eleven. The only attacks he knew were Poison Sting, String Shot, Scary Face, and Constrict. His attack was his highest stat, but Jet saw that he would have to work on his speed. Jet decided to name him Aragog.

Jet placed Aragog on his belt and decided to deposit Mantis via his Pokedex. He would use her again soon, but he wanted to train this new Pokémon first. After catching Spinarak, Jet followed Neo once more in search of an Elekid. It took another fifteen minutes, but Jet finally found what he was looking for.

Elekid was walking down the hallway, swinging its arms to generate electricity. This one was obviously not the Elekid that was injured by a Geodude. When it spotted Jet and his Pokémon, it stopped dead and stared at them. Jet told Neo excitedly, "Same as before! Put him to sleep!"

Neo nodded and lifted Elekid in the air using Telekinesis; pinning its arms to its side as he did so. Elekid yelped loudly as he was lifted into the air, and he used Thundershock on Neo. Neo wasn't particularly hurt by this attack, but it did break his concentration for a second, freeing his foe. Elekid made a break for it, but Neo teleported in front of him and used Hypnosis. Once Elekid was asleep, Jet captured him and registered him to his Pokedex.

Elekid was a level fourteen male. He knew such moves as Thundershock, Leer, Low Kick, Quick Attack, and Swift. Jet named him Thor, and placed him on his belt in Primeape's stead. Jet grinned at Neo and said, "Great job! Now all we have to do is find Bill and AJ! Can you teleport us there?"

**XXX**

AJ threw a Great Ball at the wild Magnemite. It was caught, and he released a sigh of relief. Bill had convinced him to say fuck it and just capture the Magnemite instead of looking for a Magneton. They were currently outside because Jethro had been a dick and left them without any light. AJ was disgruntled because he would now have to evolve two Pokémon from scratch. Bill was getting impatient because it seemed his Eevee just wasn't ready to evolve.

AJ picked up his new Magnemite and asked Bill, "So, what now? You still going to try to evolve your Eevee?"

Bill shook his head, "I don't think he's ready." Bill had already recalled his Eevee a half hour ago. He then turned and pointed over at the one of the power lines and said, "I know a lot of Voltorb like to hang out at the base of those power lines, I don't know if yo-"

Bill was interrupted as Jet appeared out of nowhere with his Kadabra. They had apparently just Teleported from the basement level of the Plant. Jet recalled His Kadabra and asked Bill and AJ, "How goes it?"

Bill asked, "I take it you found what you were looking for, then?"

Jet grinned, "I did! How about you guys?"

Bill shook his head, "We were less than successful, I'm afraid. Perhaps we should go to another spot? Closer to all the Voltorb? They're releasing enough power into the air; hopefully it will be enough to evolve my Eevee."

Jet nodded, "Might as well try."

And so Bill sent his Eevee back out and Jet sent out his Charmeleon. They headed to the warehouse area northwest of their position in hopes of finding a way to evolve Bill's Eevee. Jet asked him, "Don't you have any Thunder-Stones?"

"Believe it or not, I have every stone _but_ a Thunder Stone! I had one, but it was stolen from my house with a bunch of other stones I used to keep in a safe. The police suspect it's the work of Team Rocket."

Jet frowned, "That fucking sucks, so you don't have any evolution stones?"

"I have most of them actually," Bill said thoughtfully, "The only ones I don't have are a Dawn Stone, a Thunder Stone, and a Moon Stone."

It happened then. Directly ahead of them, about a hundred meters, they saw a wild Pikachu running for its life. Jet was curious as to what it was running from when he saw it; a huge, yellow and brown bird with spiky feathers landed near the Pikachu. It scooped it up with its long, pointed beak, and ate the electric mouse whole. The bird than let out a loud cry, and flapped its wings; causing sparks of electricity to fly everywhere. Jet did not need AJ saying in an awed voice, "Holy shit! That looks like a Zapdos!" to know what he was looking at.

Jet thought he was going to piss himself. A Zapdos. A real, live Zapdos. This wasn't like seeing a Gyarados. People knew Gyarados exist. Zapdos, however, were thought to be extinct. There were rumors of them being spotted before, but they were just rumors! And here, standing in front of him, in plain sight, a fucking Zapdos.

Zapdos began to fly away. Bill quickly recalled his Eevee and sent out his Skarmory. Jet turned to Bill and asked, "Where are you going?"

Bill mounted his Skarmory and told his Skarmory, "Quickly, before it gets away! Follow that Zapdos!"

Skarmory took off immediately. From what Jet knew about Zapdos, they were extremely powerful. Trying to catch one was probably suicide. And yet…

"Go Sora!"

Jet sent out his Pidgeot and mounted her. AJ grabbed Jet's arm, "You're going too?"

Jet moved his arm from AJ's grip and said, "Stay here!" He then gave Sora a mental command, and she too took off after the legendary bird. Behind them, Jet could here AJ yell in the distance, "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?"

**Author's Notes:**

**Who will capture Zapdos? Or will the Legendary Bird get the better of our heroes? Find out in the next chapter! And as always; Please Review!**


	59. Bird of Thunder

**Author's Notes:**

**In response to a question posed by Code Blue, Jet's Pokémon didn't level up since his battle with AJ because the trip to the power plant happened the very next day. Plus, as Pokémon get in their higher levels, they need a lot more experience to get stronger. You may notice in future chapters Jet's stronger Pokémon grow a lot slower than his weaker ones. And I agree that Kadabra is probably one of Jet's most useful Pokémon. His ability to sense other Pokémon in the area, coupled with his fighting skills and ability to teleport make him invaluable to Jet.**

**As for whether some of his Pokémon will evolve soon I can't really say because I never know how long a part will be until I write it out. Before his next badge? Definitely. I know I don't answer your questions that often, mostly because the ones you ask have to do with plot points that will be revealed in future chapters, but I enjoy reading your reviews and thoughts all the same.**

**As for the whole x men like discrimination thing, I like where your head is at there, but I'll be doing something a little different. I won't go into detail, but let's just say there are a lot more telepathic trainers out there than people think.**

**By the way, sorry for the lack of updates, (work and classes and blah). You can thank InheritanceConfessor2011 for reminding me that I have people waiting on the next update for this story. I also have to write a five hundred word essay on why following orders is important, but I'll do this chapter first. Yep; I'm a man who has his priorities straight.**

**PS: If you haven't played The Last of Us yet, PLAY THAT SHIT!**

Bird of Thunder

Jet's Pidgeot was not able to keep up with the intense speed of Bill's Skarmory. They were soon left behind as Bill flew faster and faster in pursuit of the bird of legend, hopes high for the haul of the century. Jet could feel his Pidgeot sweating under him as she flew faster to keep up. He told her with his mind, _Don't bother, they're too far ahead. Just head in the direction they were flying at a normal pace; I don't want you expending too much energy right now._

Sora slowed down, though her heart was still beating at an incredible pace. They flew north of the power plant; past a river and toward a mountain range. Before long, they heard a clap of thunder. In the distance, a blue bolt of light shot upward from the mountains. Jet urged his Pokémon toward the light, warning her to stay cautious as they approached.

Soon they saw Zapdos battling with Skarmory, and bolts of electricity were being sent in every which direction. Sora had to dive, (making Jet's stomach do backflips in the process), in order to avoid one of these bolts. When it missed, it hit the side of a mountain behind her that caused a rockslide. Jet yelped in panic as Sora did another incredible dodge to avoid the falling rocks. Jet looked back at where the attack had landed; a large crater was now etched into the mountain, (complete with scorch marks).

Jet made Sora retreat to a safe distance to watch the battle; one hit from one of those Thunderbolts would kill the both of them. Sora backed up and perched herself atop a cliff on the side of one of the mountains. Jet dismounted and told her, "Use Roost to regain your energy; we may need to make a quick escape."

Sora nodded and closed her eyes. She began to glow faintly as she used her aura to regain her strength. Jet watched the battle between Skarmory and Zapdos. It was very one-sided. Skarmory spent more time retreating and maneuvering than actually attacking. Zapdos, on the other hand, was sending out Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt. The mountains echoed with loud thunderous booms, and Jet kept his hands over his ears to protect his hearing.

Jet noticed that while Skarmory was dodging Zapdos' attacks, Bill was nowhere to be found. Jet felt his heart catch in his chest; just where the fuck was Bill? Sora noticed Jet was worrying about his friend, and nodded her head at one of the mountains and screeched. Jet frowned, "What's wrong?"

Sora gestured to her eye with her wing and then pointed back at the mountain and screeched again. Jet frowned and tried to read her mind to see what she was trying to tell him. He then saw an image of Bill, who was clear across the valley they were over, yelling directions at his Skarmory from a branch on the side of the mountain. Jet let out a sigh of relief. He was ok, for the moment.

Jet pulled out his Premier Ball and sent out Neo, his Kadabra. Neo looked up at the at the sky battle in surprise. He turned to Jet, awaiting battle instructions. Jet shook his head, "This isn't our fight. That Zapdos is way overpowered; that much is obvious. Bill over there is trying to catch it, but I think he's in way over his head. If things go south with his Skarmory, we'll all be in danger. If that happens, I'm going to need you to teleport us to a safe distance away from that Zapdos."

Kadabra nodded, and turned back to the sky battle at hand. Skarmory tried to shoot a quick Swift at Zapdos to buy itself some time, but the attack missed completely. Zapdos used Thunderbolt yet again which forced Skarmory to dive in haste to avoid it. Somewhere above her, Skarmory's trainer was shouting orders that she couldn't hear over the roar of her opponent's Thunderbolt; which meant it was time to improvise.

Skarmory used Autotomize, which sharply raised her speed by reducing her body weight. Bill had taught her to use this technique mid-flight, so she wasn't an easy target during the use of this technique. She felt herself get lighter and was able to move faster than before. _Good,_ she told herself, _Now for the hard part!_

Skarmory dove again, this time gaining speed by using agility mid-dive while still dodging Zapdos' attacks. Her plan was to gain enough momentum to slice right through that overgrown spark plug with Steel Wing. Skarmory gained the momentum she needed, and shot straight at Zapdos. Zapdos looked surprised to see a head-on attack, but quickly recovered and shot another Thunderbolt at Skarmory. Skarmory tilted right to avoid the attack and let her Steel Aura flow through her wings, gaining speed all the while.

Zapdos stop sending out Thunderbolts and waited for Skarmory to get close enough. Once she did, Zapdos used Discharge to send a shock wave of electricity in all directions. The attack hit Skarmory and sent her falling from the sky. Luckily, her Sturdy ability prevented her from being knocked out completely and she was able to stabilize her flight long enough to dodge the incoming bolt of electricity that was sent her way.

Just above her, Skarmory heard Bill yell, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING? DON'T ATTACK IT HEAD ON! USE ROCKSLIDE! ROCKSLIDE!"

Zapdos turned to the spot where Bill was perched. Bill looked up at the legendary bird and went pale. He was spotted! Zapdos let out a screech and shot a Thunderbolt at Bill. He yelped in panic at the prospect of certain death. The attack never hit, however, because Skarmory intercepted the attack and used Protect. This move created a shield of pure energy that deflected Zapdos' attack and saved Bill's life. The Thunderbolt ricocheted off of Skarmory's barrier and set a small wooded area a hundred feet below them ablaze.

Skarmory used Icy Wind immediately after her Protect faded. The attack hit, but did not succeed in doing too much damage. Zapdos screeched again and used another Discharge. Skarmory quickly used Protect to prevent her trainer from getting hurt, but things were not looking good.

Not too far away, Jet swore under his breath as he watched Skarmory desperately try to defend Bill's life. Jet said to his Pokémon, "I can't just leave them out there like that, but we don't stand a chance!" He felt his legs shaking slightly. He wanted to save Bill, but his Pokémon weren't near strong enough to last a second against Zapdos. Jet considered his options, and then said, "God damn it! Ok, I'm going to need Thorn for this!"

He sent out his Charmeleon and said, "Listen up! Thorn, I'm going to need you on Sora's back. You two are going to fly in, (not too close though!), and distract that Zapdos but shooting it with Dragon Rage! Once it starts to go after you, Neo is going to teleport over and have Bill recall his Skarmory. Then I'm going to need you to teleport Bill over here with me. After that I'm going to need you to go back out there to Thorn and Sora and Teleport them over here too. Do you think you can Teleport them both at once?"

Neo was amused, _Of course I can._ Jet nodded and said, "Good. Don't get too cocky out there, though! This thing is unlike anything we ever faced! Sora, just focus on avoiding that electricity! Thorn, make sure when you have a shot, you take it! Neo, be as quick as possible! I don't want anyone in the field of fire longer than they need to be! Everyone got it?"

Jet's Pokémon all nodded. Jet clapped his hands together and said, "Alright then, let's get to work!"

Thorn quickly mounted Sora. Sora then took off with a purpose. She flew into the danger zone very fast, and it did not take long until they were in firing range of Zapdos itself. Thorn took a deep breath, and used Dragon Rage. It was a clear hit. The blast exploded on contact with Zapdos and made it fall several meters before it steadied itself and faced its new foes. Pidgeot began to retreat as Zapdos sent electricity flying in her direction, Bill forgotten.

Once the bird of thunder was distracted, Neo Teleported over and relayed Jet's instructions telepathically. Bill was reluctant to go, but he knew his Skarmory wasn't going to last much longer. He pulled out Skarmory's pokeball when it happened; Zapdos turned and sent another Thunderbolt at Skarmory.

Skarmory, who had no more energy left to use Protect, was hit with bolt of electricity and cried out in pain. Bill pressed the button on her pokeball to recall her, but she had already met her demise, and was now falling into the flames below them. Bill let out a cry of anguish at the death of his Skarmory. Zapdos turned to attack Bill too, but Neo had his orders and followed them to the T. He teleported himself, and Bill, out of harm's way.

**XXX**

Jet nodded at Neo when he appeared with Bill and said, "Great job, buddy! Now let's bring the rest of the team home!"

Neo nodded and Teleported away again. Bill angrily got up and kicked a nearby rock off the cliff, "That fucking thing killed my most powerful Skarmory! This isn't over, mate! I'm going to get that fucking bird!"

Jet, who was worried about his own Pokémon, said, "Sorry about your loss, Bill, but we're not out of the woods yet! Wait until my Pokémon get back here before you start thinking of doing something stupid!"

Neo suddenly returned, with his two out of breath team mates in tow. Jet's face split into a huge grin when he saw they were all safe. "Great job, guys, time to rest!"

He recalled his Pidgeot and his Charmeleon and turned to his Kadabra. "Do you think you can Teleport us all the way back to the Power Plant?"

Neo nodded, but Bill interrupted, "No mate. I need you to take us to the light house."

Jet frowned, "Wait, why?"

Bill shook his head, "Because, mate, this ain't over. I'm going to catch that fucking bird!"

He then turned and yelled to Zapdos itself, "YOU HEAR ME? I'M GOING TO CATCH YOU!"

That got Zapdos' attention. Jet said angrily, "What the fuck, Bill? Are you _trying_ to get us all killed? We need to leave, _now!_"

He bent down and put his hand on Neo's shoulder and told Bill to do the same. Soon, his body began to tingle all over. There was a bright light, and next thing Jet knew he and Bill were in front of the light house.

Jet was surprised Neo took them there and not back to the Power Plant. Bill stood up and walked inside without a word. Jet called after him, "Bill, where are you going?" When he didn't answer, Jet grumbled, "God damn it!" and followed Bill inside, Neo in tow.

Bill had his own personal Pokémon storage terminal inside of the light house, and it turns out that's where he was going to. Jet stood there with his arms crossed and said, "You do realize you're going to get yourself killed, right?"

Bill began withdrawing numerous Pokémon from his pc and said, "Do us a favor mate. There's a new case of Ultra-Balls in that cupboard to your right, grab them for me."

Jet sighed and went to grab the ultra-balls. "Trying to catch that Zapdos is a suicide mission. You're going to get hurt."

Bill looked up and said, "I appreciate the concern, Jethro, but I can handle this. That Skarmory was at a type disadvantage against Zapdos, but I got other Pokémon without that problem, mate. Pokémon a lot stronger than Skarmory was. And you know me too well by now to think I'm going to back down from this opportunity. Not after my Pokémon gave her life."

"So that you could _live!_" Jet argued, "Not so you could get yourself killed by going back out there!"

Bill go finished withdrawing his Pokémon and grabbed the Ultra-balls from Jet. "Don't follow me, Jethro. This could get ugly, and the only flying type you got on you is no match for what I'm going to face!"

Jet grunted, "No shit."

Bill and Jet went outside. Bill said, "You might want to head back to the plant and get your mate. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Bill then sent out a team of powerful Pokémon: A Dragonite, a Salamence, a Gliscor, an Aerodactyl, a Flygon, a Hydriegon, a Sigilyph and a Talonflame. Jet watched as Bill mounted his Salamence. He called to his Pokémon, "We'll be chasing down a Zapdos today! A powerful Electric and Flying type Pokémon that has already taken out one of our number! Do not get complacent! Sigilyph will relay all my commands! Let's not waste any more time!"

All at once, Bill's team took off. Jet covered his face as the wind from their take off sprayed dirt everywhere. Jet gritted his teeth as they got farther and farther away within seconds. He silently wondered, with all of Bill's exotic Pokémon, how has he never caught a Gyarados before Jet came along? He then turned to Neo and sighed, "You ready?"

His Kadabra nodded. Jet knelt down and put his hand on Neo's shoulder, "Let's head back then." And they disappeared.

**Author's Notes:**

**Next Chapter Bill hunts down Zapdos. Will his venture end well? Find out!**

***Wild Zapdos – Lvl. 50**

**Bill's Team:**

**Skarmory – Lvl. 56 Female**

**Dragonite – Lvl. 62 Male**

**Salamence – Lvl. 56 Female**

**Aerodactyl – Lvl. 54 Female**

**Gliscor – Lvl. 51 Male**

**Flygon – Lvl. 58 Male**

**Hydriegon – Lvl. 65 Male**

**Sigilyph – Lvl. 48 Male**

**Talonflame – Lvl. 50 Female**


	60. Sky Battle

**Sky Battle**

"A Pokémon, even if it is worshipped as a deity, is still only just a Pokémon."

-Ghestis

Bill felt the adrenalin rush through his veins as he rode his dragon into battle with his team by his side. They were going to hunt this fucking bird down and capture it; no one kills one of Bill Brooke's Pokémon and gets away with it. They sped up as they approached the mountain range where Bill last battled Zapdos. This was it, time to see what this so called 'legendary' bird was really made of.

When they reached the spot of Skarmory's demise, however, Zapdos was nowhere to be found. Bill gritted his teeth and contacted his Sigilyph telepathically; _Can you sense where it went?_ He sincerely hoped Sigilyph could; Bill didn't think he could take the disappointment of losing a Zapdos when it was so close to being his.

Sigilyph, fortunately, was able to sense the aura of the beast and found a bearing for which direction it was headed in. The hunt was on. Bill urged his team forward as they began to fly past the mountain range and followed a river out to the ocean. Sigilyph led the hunt, and tried its best to sense the thinning aura of their target.

Within twenty minutes they had caught up with Zapdos. It was about six hundred meters away from Bill and his team and flying over the ocean. Once the target was in sight, the majority of Bill's team sped up to meet it in open battle. Bill and circled the target from overhead on Salamence to get a good vantage point on what was going on. Sigilyph stayed with Bill to project his thoughts to the rest of his team simultaneously.

As soon as Zapdos realized it was being pursued, it let out a loud screech and sent out a Charge Beam at its opponents.

Everyone spread out and avoided the attack, but Zapdos' special attack raised slightly as it prepared for the fight of its life. From above, Bill sent out the mental command, _Surround him! I want Flygon and Hydriegon in the front! Talonflame and Aerodactyl take the rear! Gliscor on the left and Dragonite on the right! Take this fucker down!_

As Bill's Pokémon took their positions, Zapdos sent a Discharge in all directions. Most off Bill's team dodged the attack; Flygon and Gliscor didn't even bother, but rather attacked with simultaneous Hyperbeams during Zapdos' recovery.

Zapdos was quicker than they anticipated, however, and dived down to avoid both attacks. It soon found itself dodging another Hyperbeam, (Courtesy of Aerodactyl), and had to spin to avoid Dragonite's Ice Beam. Bill was impressed, but was also surprised when his Talonflame struck with Flame Charge. He contacted her mentally and said, _Don't waste time with weak physical attacks! Try to burn it with Flamethrower instead!_

Zapdos struck Talonflame with a quick Thunderbolt before diving to dodge another Ice Beam. Talonflame let out an earsplitting screech before she started to plummet toward the sea. Bill quickly pulled out her pokeball and recalled her; thankful that she was only knocked out and not dead.

Below him, Zapdos attempted to escape its foes by making a break for it. Bill and his team immediately gave chase, and the bird of thunder was quickly run down by Flygon and Dragonite. Dragonite slammed into Zapdos with Extreme Speed and sent it flying in Flygon's direction. Flygon used Mud Shot at the speeding projectile that was Zapdos, but missed as Zapdos did a quick aerial recovery and flew upwards to avoid the attack. Flygon gave chase just as Dragonite used Ice Beam. What happened next was completely unexpected; Zapdos somehow turned into a bolt of lightning and disappeared behind Dragonite. The Ice Beam struck Flygon and took him out of the battle. Zapdos took advantage of this moment of confusion to use Thunderwave on Dragonite.

Dragonite moaned as he felt his limbs go numb. Aerodactyl, who had just caught up, used Ancient Power to knock Zapdos out of the sky. Zapdos, however, once again turned into a bolt of lightning and flew straight up in the air. Aerodactyl's attack hit Dragonite, sending him downward to the sea. Bill was furious.

_Will you idiots quit attacking each other! This is a TEAM effort! Hydriegon, Aerodactyl; go down there and get Dragonite and Flygon! And be quick about it! We have to chase this bloody thing before it gets away!_

His Pokémon dived down to retrieve their fallen comrades. Bill gritted his teeth impatiently as he waited for them to grab Dragonite and Flygon from the see when he heard a rumble up above. Dark storm clouds began to gather in what was previously a clear sky. And then he felt it; heavy drops of rain began to pour from the storm clouds. This was not a good sign; legends of Zapdos always said that the Pokémon had the power to create lightning storms. Was this Zapdos using Rain Dance above them to cause a lightning storm?

His hair began to stand on end as the cackle of thunder was heard up above them. This was not good. Aerodactyl and Gliscor returned with their unconscious team mates. Bill quickly recalled his unconscious Pokémon and told Sigilyph, _Put me on Aerodactyl's back so Salamence can fight in her stead! Salamence will not be as vulnerable to that bloody thing's electric attacks!_

Sigilyph used Telekinesis to lift Bill from his Salamence and placed him on the back of Aerodactyl. A Bolt of lightning came down somewhere in the distance. Bill covered his ears a yelled, "It's starting! Salamence, Gliscor; take that thing out before it kills us all!"

And they took off. Both Pokémon flew high into the clouds. Salamence was slowed down by the amount of electricity in the air, and soon found herself attempting to dodge multiple jolts of electricity that were flying about in the clouds. Gliscor carried on without her; he had nothing to fear from this electricity.

Higher and higher Gliscor flew, ignoring the sting of the rain against his shell and fighting the wind that threatened to carry him off. He knew nothing of this new and powerful foe except that it was able to take out the rest of his team fairly easily. If Gliscor himself took out this Zapdos, then he would be considered the best of all his master's Pokémon! All he had to do was find it.

And there it was. Hovering above the storm clouds, glowing as it sent electricity flying down below. This was Gliscor's chance! Zapdos was unaware of his presence! He flew up behind the beast and used Ice Fang on Zapdos' neck; crunching down as hard as he could as he did so. Zapdos let out a cry of pain and attempted to shock Gliscor, but the attack had no effect. Gliscor repeated his attack and this time bit down on Zapdos' wing, numbing it. Zapdos cried in pain again and again as Gliscor tore at ever opening with his icy fangs. Blood spilled from Zapdos' wounds and fell into the clouds down below. The fact that Zapdos was even able to stay airborne after Gliscor's repeated assaults was a testament to its will power. In desperation, Zapdos used Protect to knock Gliscor off of it and create enough of a standoff distance to use a counter attack. This strategy worked, and Zapdos freed itself and prepared to take out the little pest with the most powerful Hyperbeam it could muster.

It never got the chance. Zapdos was once again struck from behind; this time by a tardy Salamence and her Ice Beam. Salamence put all of her energy into her attack in hopes of ending this fight quickly. She ended it alright; Zapdos was frozen solid and fell from the sky through the storm clouds that it itself had created.

Bill's Pokémon descended with it. Through the clouds that began to disperse, past their waiting master whom showed surprise at the sight of the falling block of ice that was Zapdos. Bill joined his Pokémon in their decent. The rain had stopped, the thunder was no more, and Zapdos was dead before its frozen body had hit the body of water below.

Bill had pulled out an ultra-ball to catch his now frozen foe, but Sigilyph had told him the news; there was no life left in the once legendary bird Pokémon.

Bill looked up at Sigilyph and said angrily, "What do you mean dead?" He angrily threw the ultra-ball anyway. It dropped into the water next to Zapdos' body. Bill's heart sank. He had come so close, he had found a legendary Pokémon. Hell, he even defeated it. But now, now it could never be his.

He felt as though he were about to cry. He turned to Salamence and asked, "I suppose you delivered the final blow, then?"

Salamence nodded, unabashed. Bill nodded to, "Right. You can carry the body then. We need to have it analyzed. We need to find out where it came from. Most importantly, we need to see if we can find any more of them."

**XXX**

A week after their encounter with Zapdos, Jet found himself once again standing in front of the Light House of Cerulean Cape. He dismounted his bike and entered the building, making his way up the familiar staircase to Bill's study. Bill had made it public that he had chased down and battled Zapdos to the death. His face was on every TV screen and newspaper for the past few days as he had brought the Pokémon's body back as proof.

Bill had kept Jet's name out of the story at his request. AJ, however, had told reporters that Bill wasn't the only one who had chased down Zapdos, causing Jet to once again spend his days dodging reporters. Jet was not happy with AJ for opening his mouth and AJ could give a shit less. Apparently he was still pissed that Jet not only killed his Pincer in battle, but left him behind at the Power Plant to chase after Zapdos. After a heated argument a few days prior, both boys were almost at blows. Now they weren't speaking, and jet didn't mind that one bit.

He had not seen much of Bill for the past seven days as Bill had been doing nothing but telling reporters all about how he chased Zapdos down with his dragon Pokémon and had a sky battle in the middle of a lightning storm. Today, however, Bill requested Jet come to his light house with the promise that there would be no press there. And so here he was, knocking on the door to Bill's study.

"Come in, mate!"

Jet walked in and found Bill talking to a familiar looking pretty brunette. "Ah Jethro, right on time! This is Alexa, a friend of mine."

Alexa looked at Jet and smiled as she held out her hand, "We've met before. At the Beauty Contest, remember?"

Jet frowned as he shook her hand, "The reporter in the green dress." Jet gave Bill a dark look after shaking Alexa's hand.

"Alexa, love," Bill called to the brunette, "See you on Thursday."

Alexa nodded at Bill and said, "Looking forward to it!" She then turned to Jet and asked, "I get the feeling that you don't like me very much, do you?"

Bill laughed, "Jethro doesn't mean anything by it, love! He's just shy around reporters is all!"

Jet gave Alexa a half-hearted smile and said, "Nothing personal."

Alexa rolled her eyes and said, "If you say so," before opening the door, "but you'll catch more flies with honey then you would with vinegar, you know!" And then she left.

Bill grinned as she shut the door behind her, "She's something special, that one! Great rack!"

Jet found himself a seat and asked, "She one of yours?"

Bill chuckled, "I wish, mate! She doesn't seem to be the type. Ah well, have you heard from your old boss? Oak?"

Jet nodded and replied, "They finished the autopsy on Zapdos. He says it's too early to tell exactly where Zapdos came from though. If you ask me though, I think it's nomadic. I mean, don't all the legends say Zapdos spends its days in storm clouds causing lightning storms?"

Bill scratched his nose and said, "That they do. It has to have an origin? I mean, it's not as if thunder just struck and Zapdos was born from nothing!"

Jet leaned in and asked, "You said it turned into lightning? How did it look? I mean, I've never seen anything like that before!"

Bill shook his head and said, "Neither have I. Although, Vaporeon have the ability to essentially melt themselves for short periods of time. It may work similar to that ability."

Jet thought about this. A Pokémon that could turn itself into pure electricity as a defense mechanism; such a power would be invaluable in a Pokémon battle. Jet wouldn't even know where to begin to teach such a maneuver, however. He doubted such a thing could even be taught.

"The question is," Bill began, "If Zapdos exists, what other legends are out there? I know that Noland bloke from Hoenn captured an Articuno twelve years ago, but he was never able to find out where it came from. That is to say, if he did he certainly hasn't made such a thing public knowledge. But that's two legendary birds found in the past two decades! There must be more, I just need a place to start."

Jet smirked, "We just found something that human has seen in over fifty years, I truly doubt we'd find another."

Bill said nothing, but leaned back in his chair in a ponderous state. "What about Mt. Ember?"

Jet looked up and laughed, "What about it?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard the legend, Jethro!"

Mt. Ember was an active volcano somewhere in the Rainbow Islands. What was unique about said volcano, is the rumors that had started thirty years prior of a Moltres being spotted during an eruption. It is said that this Moltres lives deep within the volcano, and if one could draw it out than they could potentially catch it.

"It's not so much a legend as it is a rumor!" Jet laughed.

"Ah, but a rumor worth looking into!" Bill retorted.

Jet shook his head and replied, "Ok. Say a Moltres _did_ actually live in Mt. Ember; how in the hell would you draw it out? Never mind trying to catch something so dangerous in an environment so deadly without killing it like you did with Zapdos?"

Bill smiled and said, "There's the rub, isn't it? How to catch it? And I have a solution!"

"I'd love to hear this one!"

"Masterball." Bill stated.

"'Scuse me?"

Bill stood up and said, "You know Silph Co, right? The company that makes capsules and what not?"

Jet nodded, "What about it?"

Bill started pacing, "As we speak, they are in the process of creating the ultimate Pokémon capsule device!"

"The 'masterball'?"

Bill nodded, "It is supposed to be able to capture any Pokémon, no matter how powerful, without fail!"

Jet rolled his eyes. A Pokeball above all others. Every few years someone tries to make one. No one has been able to effectively invent one as of yet.

"And you think they'll get it to work?"

Bill nodded, "I've got friends in the company that tell me the development process has been going excellent. They expect to start selling the prototypes soon at a price tag of one million apiece."

Jet stretched out in his chair and said, "So let me get this straight. You want to buy a million dollar pokeball, which by the way probably isn't even going to work as advertised, go into a volcano and draw out a legendary bird, and then try to capture said bird with a prototype masterball?"

Bill laughed and said, "Why so skeptical, mate? I figured you'd be all for hunting down a legendary Pokémon! Aren't you the one who once jumped off the back of a Dragonite into a freezing waters to get your Gyarados?"

Jet shook his head in amusement. "Yeah, yeah. I'm just saying, Bill; try not to get your hopes up too high on this one. That's all."

Bill stopped pacing and gave Jet a kind smile. "I appreciate the concern, mate, but I've got this covered. Anyway, the reason I called you here is not to discuss Moltres or the Masterball."

Jet leaned back in his seat and asked, "What, got a job for me?"

Bill walked back over to his desk and pulled out a small box. He then handed the box to Jet and said, "A little thank you present! You saved my life in those mountains the other day. These won't exactly make us even, but it _is_ the least I can do."

Curious, Jet opened the box to find three Luxury balls inside. The hue on the button of said balls was blue, suggesting that the balls were occupied. Jet was about to ask Bill what was in the Luxury Balls, but Bill answered him before the question left his lips:

"Three Eevee. Two male, and one female. All three free of charge. They were just born a couple of days ago so they're not ready to do any fighting, but that's how you prefer it, is it not? To train them yourself?"

Jet was speechless. Eevee was one of Jet's favorite Pokémon in the world. To get three, (one of which was a rare female) free of charge like this was one of the best presents he had ever gotten in his life! Aside from when he received Thorn, that is.

"Bill, I-"

"Don't worry about it, mate! I have plenty of Eevee to breed with. You deserve those Pokémon. I assume, of course, you need no lesson on how to raise an Eevee?"

Jet grinned, "I think I can handle them!"

Bill grinned as well, "Excellent! Now these have all been bred with a special Munna and as such can all use the move Syncronoise. All other attacks you'll have to teach them on your own I'm afraid; that was the only attack that seemed to carry over from their parents."

Jet stood up and said, "I really can't thank you enough, Bill!"

Bill made a gesture as though he were waving Jet's thanks away, "Really, mate. Don't mention it! Just do me a favor; when you return home to talk to Oak, make sure you give me an update on his study on Zapdos."

Jet nodded, "Yeah, of course!"

A half hour later, Jet was leaving the light house in high spirits. He had pictured buying his own Eevee from Bill one day, but never imagined that he'd own a female Eevee. Potentially, he could bread her and evolve a whole family of Eevee with different types for different battles! Of course, it would not be easy. Eevee usually evolved according to their environment and the conditions it's under. Without evolution stones, evolving his Eevee could be a tedious task indeed. Still, he looked forward to the challenge.

**Author's Notes:**

**When I first wrote in that brunette reporter at the end of chapter 54, I planned on her being an original recurring character. When X and Y announced Alexa,(a reporter that not only fit my reporter's description but was also a globe-trotting Pokémon journalist) the opportunity was waaay too good to pass up. You probably won't see a lot of Alexa until Jet's career get's a little bigger, but I'm introducing her now, Goddamnit!**

**Is it because she's hot? Yes. Because her job is cool? Yes! Because I want to write in a battle with her Gogoat and Helioptile at some point? Fuck yeah!**

**Anyways, let me know what you guys think of the new chapter!**


	61. Homecoming

**Author's Notes:**

**I managed to tear myself away from X and Y long enough to write this little chapter. I'll only spend a few chapters in Pallet Town before heading to Lavender.**

Homecoming

Jet waited impatiently for one of the office ladies from his old high school to call his younger siblings from their classes. His mom had given him permission to pick them up from school an hour and a half early to take them to Oak's research center. It was Jet's first day back in Pallet Town and already he had a busy morning. After arriving he decided to rent a car so he didn't have to sit on his bike all week, (which, after a two hour ride from Cerulean to his home town, was beginning to make his lower back sore).

He then visited his mother at her job, (a local thrift shop that she managed), and now he was picking up the twins so they could get their very own trainer's licenses. In truth the licenses could have waited, but Jet was seeing Oak that day anyway, so he figured why not just kill two birds with one stone?

Kenny and Anna were both surprised to see Jet waiting for them in the office. He hugged them both and said, "C'mon, I'm taking you both to take the test for your Class C today."

Kenny's face split into a huge grin, "Really? Mom said you could?"

Anna, however, said, "Oh no! I haven't studied in weeks for that test!"

Jet shrugged, "Neither did I, and I passed the test on my first try. Besides, if you fail I'll just take you back tomorrow to take it again. Most people end up getting it after their second or third try. I got the rental parked out front, let's go."

Along the way to the research center, Jet quizzed his little brother and sister to prepare them for the test. He tried to cover all of the basics. What stats were, what type was weak to what, laws that all trainer's needed to know, etc. After ten minutes of this, Anna asked about Misty, "You guys didn't break up again, did you?" Misty had promised Anna a water Pokémon of her own when she got her license.

"We never got back together after the last break up," Jet said while turning into the parking lot of the research center. "Why do you ask?"

"I really liked her," Anna whined, "she was awesome!"

"And the fact that she promised you a Pokémon has nothing to do with that?" Kenny smirked.

"Of course it does!" Anna retorted, "That's one of the things that made her so awesome!"

Jet had visited Misty one last time before leaving Cerulean. They spent the day washing their Pokémon at her Gym and talking. Misty made it clear that she was ready to move on and, though she was sorry to see Jet leave the city, she thought it was all for the best. Not wanting to talk about Misty, Jet changed the subject.

"Now when you guys use the battle simulator, remember to just use attacking moves. Status moves are smart for real battles, but the simulator plays out like a child's video game."

Jet and the twins made their way to the front entrance. They were surprised to see a couple of uniformed cops standing at the front door, one of which was their dad. He looked surprised to see them there as well, "Aren't you two supposed to be getting out of school in an hour? What are you guys doing here so early? Jethro, what the fuck?"

"Mom said I could take them out early since they stop testing at four." Jet replied, unabashed.

Officer Brown shook his head, "Woman doesn't tell me anything." Frank, his partner, reached out and shook Jet's hand, "Good to see you back in town! Hope you stay for more than a couple days this time?"

Jet smiled at his dad's friend and replied, "Might be a couple of weeks. I'm not sure yet. By the way, what are you guys doing here anyway? One of the strays attack somebody or something?"

Frank rolled his eyes and said, "It's that damn bird everyone's going on about. Apparently people have been sneaking into the lab to get a peak so they got us running security. As if we don't have better things to do."

Jet's dad raised his eyebrows, "Better things to do? In Pallet Town?"

Frank thought about it and laughed, "Good point!"

Jet's dad turned to his younger kids and said, "Good luck on that test. You two pass and we'll eat out tonight."

"You don't want to stay and see if we pass, dad?" Anna asked.

The two cops exchanged amused looks, and Officer Brown shook his head, "Can't. I'm working, baby girl."

**XXX**

Jet and the twins headed inside so Jet could sign them up for their tests. After which point Jet wished them good luck and headed up to see Professor Oak. Oak was in his office talking to a young boy of about sixteen with a Pikachu sitting on his left shoulder. When Jet entered Oak welcomed him in, "Ah, I was wondering when you were stopping by. Come on in."

The young boy Oak had been talking to asked, "So, can I have off Thursday night, Professor?"

Oak scratched his chin and replied, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Although, in the future you may want to ask me with a little more notice."

The boy looked down and said, "Oh, sorry, won't happen again."

"That's quite alright, Ash. Now if you will excuse us?"

The boy looked over at Jet and said, "Oh! Right- sorry!" And then he exited the room. Oak shook his head, "Not the brightest young man under my employ. Certainly very enthusiastic, though." He looked at Jet and said, "You may recognize that Pikachu? It's the same one that was in here the first time you visited my office."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "That thing is still around?"

Oak chuckled, "Yes well, he doesn't get along with many humans. He took a real shine to that young man, so I let him keep it as his first Pokémon. To be honest, I'm surprised he hasn't been electrocuted yet."

Jet smirked, "I remember when I was training my Pikachu. He had to make a conscious effort to hold back his static ability every time I touched him. He's loyal as hell though. And has amazing agility."

Oak sat behind his desk and said, "Yes, I often question whether such a Pokémon is underestimated. So often young trainers end up accidently electrocuted from Pikachu, perhaps the league should rethink allowing Class C trainers to use them?"

"Then why did you give him a Pikachu?"

Oak shrugged, "It has an affinity for the boy. Most Pokémon around here do. Something tells me he will end up being an excellent trainer when he gets older."

Jet shrugged and asked, "So did you analyze the contents of Zapdos' stomach? I saw it eat a Pikachu, what else does it eat?"

Oak sighed, "Emolga, Dedenne, basically electric rodents from multiple regions. You were right; it migrates from region to region."

Jet frowned, "So there's no way to trace its origin? Do we know how old it is?"

"Twenty five years, give or take." Oak replied. "Unfortunately, that's about all we know. It's hard to get a measure of how powerful it was since it's no longer living."

Jet asked, "You keep saying 'it;' were you able to determine a gender?"

Oak shook his head, "It's Asexual. Our lab isn't really equipped for this kind of thing. That's why we are sending it to Professor Juniper's Lab in the Unova Region. They specialize in studying Pokémon Origin's down there. If they find anything, I'll be sure to let you know."

**XXX**

By the time Jet returned from Oak's lab, Anna was already done her test. "I passed!" She exclaimed excitedly, "I'm officially a Pokémon Trainer!"

Jet smiled, "Great job, Anna! Where's Kenny?"

Before Anna could answer, her brother emerged looking sullen faced. "I missed it by three points!" He said in an annoyed voice. "This is bullshit!"

Anna held up her license and said, "Not for me!"

Kenny groaned. Jet however, said, "We'll just come back tomorrow bright and early to take the test again. It's a Saturday, so the place might be packed. Let's make an appointment just in case."

Jet took Kenny to the reception desk to schedule a make-up exam for the following day, and then took the twins home so Anna could tell their mom the good news. Because only one of the twins passed their exam, their dad ordered pizza instead of taking them all out to eat. Jet preferred this anyway, as it has been a few months since he actually ordered out.

After they were done with their food, jet had a little announcement to make. "Hey Kenny, turn the TV down for a second? Thanks." He began, "A few months ago, I asked you guys to look after a couple newborn Fairy Pokémon with the promise that I'd catch you something good if you did a good job at raising them."

Jet's mom cut in, "You caught them something? Nothing dangerous, I hope?"

Jet shook his head and pulled two Luxury Balls from his belt. "Actually, I didn't catch these. They were bred for me."

Anna sat up excitedly and asked, "What did you get me? Is it a Water Type? Please let it be a Water Pokémon!"

Jet smiled, "If you train him right, he could be." Anna frowned, confused. Jet tossed her one of the luxury balls and tossed the other one to his brother. "Open them up, see for yourselves."

In a flash of light, two baby Eevee were sent out to greet their new trainers. Anna squealed and picked up her puppy, "Oh my god, I love it!"

Kenny picked his up as well and said, "Where did you find these? Thanks, Jet!"

Jet smiled as his little brother and sister were introduced to their first partners. It reminded him a lot of when he found out he could keep his Charmander. Jet cleared his throat, "Both of these Pokémon are at level one. Neither are house broken, so you have to work on that before you can leave them out of their pokeballs. You might want to wait a while before they're old enough to battle, too. If you run with them every day for a week, they'll be strong enough to start battling. You have to practice their attacks first, though. Just because they know how to tackle, doesn't mean they have any experience doing so. Also, you want to make sure they stay hydrated at all times. We'll pick up some food for them tomorrow."

Samson, the family Growlithe, trotted over to sniff the young Eevee. Kenny's Eevee hid behind his trainer, while Anna's Eevee sniffed Samson's nose, curiously. Anna asked, "What are their names?"

"They're your Pokémon, you name them."

Anna petted her Eevee's head and said, "I'm going to name you Jaime!" Eevee turned to look at Anna for a second, and then commenced sniffing Samson.

Jet asked Kenny, "What about you?"

Kenny picked up his Eevee and gave it an appraising look, "I don't really want to name him. Most kids I know don't name their Pokémon, anyway."

Jet frowned, "You wouldn't like it if people just called you human all the time, would you?"

Kenny retorted, "The only time you should name a Pokémon is if you have more than one of the same Pokémon. Anna already named her Eevee, so I don't have to name mine."

Jet strongly disagreed with his brother, but decided not to argue. If that was the kind of relationship he wanted for his Pokémon, that was on him. Still, he couldn't see how a Pokémon could grow close to a trainer who just called it by the name of its species. Jet had long wondered why people called Pokémon by the name of their species instead of naming them individually. It was a practice that perplexed him even as a child.

"So," Kenny interrupted Jet's thoughts, "we can't have a battle yet?"

"They aren't strong enough to fight yet," Jet repeated, "You'll have to wait a while."

Their mom said, "You two better potty train them before you even think about battling with them! Teach them to go outside first, and then you can battle your friends."

Anna asked, "You'll show us how to train them, right?"

Jet nodded, "Yeah. Besides, I got my own Eevee to train. If you guys can get your Pokémon in fighting shape by next week, I'll even take you out to teach you how to catch Pokémon."

In truth, it wasn't just his Eevee he needed to train. He also had to work with his Elekid and Spinarak. Both Pokémon he had taught some new attacks and leveled up a little, but there was still much work that needed to be done before he headed out.

"We can head to the woods just east of town next weekend. The Pokémon there aren't overly strong, so you shouldn't have too much trouble training there. But for tonight, you might want to keep your Pokémon in their pokeballs."

Both Anna and Kenny recalled their Pokémon. Their mom turned to Kenny and told him, "Go upstairs and study! If you want to keep that Eevee of yours, I suggest you get to work earning that trainer's license!"

**Author's Notes:**

**Next chapter Jet starts training his newbies, as well as his younger siblings. Soon we'll head out to Lavender Town, but I do have some surprises waiting until then! **


	62. Play Rough

Play Rough

"Gary Muthafucking Oak!" Jet grinned as he greeted Amy's older brother. It had been three days since he'd been home, and already he found himself back at Oak's lab. This time, however, it was to see his Grandson who had just recently arrived back in town.

"Oh shit!" Gary exclaimed in surprise, "Jet, what the fuck are you doing here? Last I heard you were shacked up with that Gym Leader in Cerulean!"

Jet laughed, "Yeah well, that didn't work out. So what are you doing down here? Amy called me and told me you were going to be at the Lab today, she didn't say why, though."

Gary shrugged, "Just wanted to come back to the Kanto. I'm surprised Amy didn't join me, but last I heard she was in Olivine working on another badge. I was about to head outback to smoke, want to come?"

Jet and Gary headed out back to the small ranch behind the Research Center. The staff would take Pokémon back here to run around and play and mate. It was a place where some of the more restless Pokémon could let out some of their energy. It was also where many of the mock battles were held.

"You don't smoke right?" Gary asked. Jet shook his head, "Nope. Bad habit."

Gary shrugged, "Nowadays, what isn't a bad habit?"

Jet sat on the wooden fence of a paddock and asked, "So what do you plan on doing while you're in the Kanto?"

Gary shrugged, "Catch Pokémon, collect badges, train a new team. I take it you're still running around here training, right? You don't strike me as the kind of guy to just head home and retire just as you're gaining momentum."

"Nah," Jet replied, "I'm teaching my brother and sister how to train Pokémon for a little bit, and then I'm going to start traveling again."

Gary nodded, "As you should! The world needs more serious trainers! The only things these locals are good for is using their Pokémon for punching bags. I got to hit up some Gyms to find some real competition.

Jet was about to reply when a couple of teenagers that work for the professor came up and interrupted them, "Hey, you're the Professor's grandson, right?"

There were three girls and two guys. One of the guys, Jet recognized, was the kid from Oak's office who had the Pikachu. Sure enough, Jet spotted the little electric mouse following behind his trainer.

Gary turned and looked at the speaker, which was one of the girls. "Who's asking?"

The girls started giggling, and one of them said, "You're as cute as they said you were!" The other two girls started giggling. One of the males rolled his eyes. Ash, however, said, "Hey, if you're really Professor Oak's Grandson then you must know a lot about Pokémon!"

The girls started giggling again and one of them said, "Here we go! Ash, can you go five minutes without challenging someone to a Pokémon battle?"

Ash looked at his friend, genuinely surprised, "But if I want to become a Pokémon master, I have to beat as many strong trainers as possible!"

Jet could see what Oak meant by this kid being enthusiastic. Jet asked, "Aren't you guys supposed to be working?"

Ash replied, "We're on our lunch break; we can battle if we want to!"

"Umm, speak for yourself, Ash, we're going to grab some food. Bye Professor Oak's grandson!" The girls giggled yet again and left, with their guy- friend following them to the cafeteria. Ash, however, stayed rooted in spot.

"C'mon, let's battle!"

Gary gave Jet a look that said clearly, _Is this kid serious?_, and then turned to his challenger. "Why not? I'll battle you, Ashy-boy!"

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed with all of the enthusiasm in the world. His Pikachu jumped on his shoulder and exclaimed, "Pika!"

Gary smirked and pulled a pokeball from his belt, "Let's see what you got! Go, Umbreon!"

Gary's Umbreon was summoned forth, it's demeanor reserved and observant. Ash threw a pokeball into the sky and called, "Go, Pidgeotto!"

Pidgeotto flew in a circle above Ash's head, before going into a nose dive to tackle Umbreon. Gary told his Pokémon, "Take it out with Dark Pulse!"

It was a one hit KO. Ash's Pidgeotto didn't even stand a chance. Ash recalled his Pidgeotto and turned his hat backwards, "I was right for figuring you'd be a tough opponent! But we're not out yet! Go Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and sent a bolt of electricity flying at Umbreon. Gary called to his Pokémon, "Use Protect!"

Umbreon quickly created a shield of pure energy to block the Thunderbolt. Ash didn't stop however, and told his Pokémon, "Use Double Team!"

Pikachu did as he was told, and seven blurry Pikachu surrounded Umbreon. Umbreon used Dark Pulse to attack all of the Pikachu at once, but the real thing jumped in the air to avoid the attack and used Thunder. A powerful bolt of electricity came crashing down on Umbreon, who was able to withstand the attack, though visibly shaken. Ash told his Pokémon, "You almost have it, Pikachu! Hit it with Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu electrified himself and charged at his opponent at a break-neck speed. Just before he hit however, Umbreon used Dig to go underground. Ash gritted his teeth and said, "Ok Pikachu, use Double Team, quick!"

Pikachu wasted no time in using his evasive maneuver to create several after-images of himself in an attempt to fool his opponent. Umbreon hit the real thing, however, and sent Pikachu flying with a pained, "Chaaaa!"

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

Ash's Pikachu was somehow able to recover mid-flight and send yet another Thunderbolt Umbreon's way. Umbreon growled as the attack hit. From the way he was shaking, it looked as though Umbreon was Paralyzed. Ash saw an opportunity and said, "Ok Pikachu, finish him!"

Pikachu landed and immediately transitioned into a Volt-Tackle. It was just about to hit when Umbreon knocked him back with another Dark Pulse. Pikachu fell to the ground with a tired "Pii." It struggled to get back up, but instead fell back down, defeated. Ash ran and picked up his fallen comrade, "Pikachu! Are you ok, pal?"

Pikachu gave a tired, "Chaaa," in response. Ash gave his Pokémon a small smile and said, "You did great, buddy!"

He then picked his Pokémon up and held it in his arms. He turned to Gary and said, "Your tough, bet next time we battle, I'm gonna win!"

Gary gave a small half-smile and said, "Sure kid. See me when you grow up a bit."

Ash gave Gary a blazing glare, and then turned and sprinting off, mumbling something about the infirmary. Gary shook his head and recalled his Umbreon, telling it, "Good job."

Jet smiled, "That Pikachu surprised me."

Gary rolled his eyes, "It's a decent enough Pokémon. The trainer's a loser though. I'm surprised he managed to find a Pikachu that could use Volt Tackle."

"My Raichu can use Volt Tackle," Jet said, absentmindedly, "I usually don't use it though. It does massive damage to the user."

Gary turned to Jet and smiled, "How about a rematch between you and me? Haven't battled you in a long time."

Jet frowned, "We battled before?"

Gary scoffed, "You don't remember? We got blazed on the SS Anne before it got attacked and had a two on two?"

Jet thought about it, "Oh yeah, that's when my Abra evolved! That whole night was kind of a blur, dude. You can't blame me for having trouble remembering."

Gary shrugged, "Fair point. Shall we?" he asked pulling a pokeball from his belt. Jet smiled and pulled a ball from his belt as well. Gary sent out his Pokémon first, "Three on three! No switching out! Go, Granbull!"

Jet sent out his Kadabra. "Neo use Psybeam!"

"Granbull, use Play Rough!"

Neo sent out a multi-colored ray of energy at Granbull. The attack looked as though it caused the Fairy Pokémon pain, but Granbull was able to push through the attack to deliver a blow of his own. His fist began to glow with a bright, pink aura, and he struck Jet's Kadabra with multiple blows in succession. Jet's Kadabra was knocked out cold.

Jet recalled his Pokémon in mild shock. He wasn't expecting Gary's Granbull to eat the Psybeam up the way it did. After all, Granbull weren't exactly known for having good special defense. Jet saw Granbull flinch after Kadabra was recalled and he began panting heavily. So he _did_ sustain a lot of damage, he was just able to fight through the pain to deliver his own attack. Jet was impressed against his will. Granbull pulled a Sitrus Berry from under his collar and ate it, regaining a small portion of his health.

Jet figured one strong hit would take this Pokémon out, so he sent out his Graveler next. "Boulder, use Rockslide!"

"Hit it with Play Rough!"

Jet's Graveler didn't even stand a chance. Granbull was on him like stink on shit, and struck the rock Pokémon with a furious vengeance. Jet had to recall his unconscious Graveler.

Jet started getting nervous. Perhaps it was because he was so used to his Pokémon outclassing everyone else, but he felt like Gary's Granbull was ridiculously powerful. He needed someone quick to go against him, so he decided to go with his Raichu.

Gary immediately told Granbull, "Use Substitute!"

A pure white, wispy version of Granbull appeared directly in front of him. Jet figured, _No problem! One attack for the substitute, another for Granbull!_

"Spark, use Electro Ball!"

"Granbull, use Play Rough!"

Granbull charged at Raichu, his Substitute taking the Electro Ball head on. Once the Substitute was destroyed, Granbull shot from behind it and attacked. Raichu attempted to shock him before he attacked, and the result was a double KO. Jet had finally taken out Gary's Granbull, but he still lost the match.

Both trainers recalled their Pokémon. Gary sighed, "Honestly, I thought you'd put up a much better fight than that. What've you even been doing for the past few months?"

Jet didn't have a retort. True, he did spend a lot more time training his weaker Pokémon than he did trying to build a main team, but it had been a long time since he was swept like that. There was no excuse. He shouldn't have sent out Graveler. That much now seemed obvious in hindsight. He should have used Double Team when Gary used Substitute, or used Magnet Rise to attack from above. Better yet he should have used his Charmeleon. Jet finally realized that he was getting complacent. That's why AJ won that match at Bill's Club. That's why he lost that contest ribbon. Victory has defeated him. This would have to stop.

**XXX**

Jet got back from Oak's Lab a few hours later and got to work showing his Eevee how to shrimp.

"You want our Pokémon to do what?" Anna asked, "What the hell is a shrimping drill?"

"When you shrimp," Jet explained patiently, "Basically you're maneuvering your body in such a way to escape getting mounted. Let me show you." Jet demonstrated by getting on the ground and flailing his body from one side to the other in a manner that, not surprisingly, made him look like a shrimp squirming on the ground.

"What good does that do?" Kenny asked, in disgust.

Jet frowned, "Don't you guys know anything about MMA?"

Both twins looked at each other with blank looks on their faces. Jet sighed. "Ok, let me show you another way. Go, Thorn, go Neo!"

Jet sent out his Charmeleon and his Kadabra. He said, "We're going to show these three Eevee how to shrimp, and why it's useful. So get into positions. Thorn, you mount! Neo, you shrimp!"

Neo got on the ground and Thorn stepped over him. Jet narrated for everyone else, "Thorn right now is in the most dominant position you could be in while fighting on the ground. While Thorn is mounted, he can slash and bite Neo, choke him, strike him, and there's physically very little Neo could do."

"But," Kenny interrupted, "Neo could just throw off Thorn with his Psychic powers!"

Jet turned to Kenny, "Can your Eevee throw off a blood thirsty Charmeleon with Psychic powers?"

Kenny seemed to realize where Jet was getting at, "No."

Jet nodded, "Exactly. So when faced in this position, your Eevee will most likely need to shrimp to escape and regain his position. Ok you two, time to demonstrate!"

Thorn made a motion as if he was about to slash Neo with his claws, but Neo shrimped out from under Thorn, did a roll, and got into a fighting stance.

Anna said, "Ohh, that's what you were doing!"

Jet nodded, "Trust me when I say that everything I do while we are training, I do for a reason. Since Neo is already here, he will use his Telekinesis to create a mild resistance. You three Eevee are going shrimp from one side of the yard to the other until I say stop. Ready? Let's get started."

For the next half hour Jet the Eevee do shrimping drills, followed by combat rolls and ducking drills. By the end of their two hour session, all three Eevee were obviously exhausted. Jet had them drink water and call it a night.

"When are we going to teach them how to fight?" Kenny asked.

"We are teaching them how to fight," Jet replied.

After the Eevee were fed and watered, Jet had his little brother and sister clean their Pokémon before cleaning his own. Only then were they done for the day. Jet took a nice long shower, and got ready for bed. He had to get up early for training the next day. After his match against Gary's Granbull, it was obvious that he was now falling behind. That was something he could not allow to happen.

**XXX**

Jet got woken up in the middle of the night by his mother. "Jethro, get up quick and get dressed!" Jet was about to argue, but he heard the urgency in her voice.

"What's going on? What happened?"

"Get dressed, "I'll tell you on the way!"

Jet hopped up out of bed and quickly put his clothes on. When he got to the hallway, he saw Kenny and Anna sleepily leaving their rooms half dressed.

"What's going on, mom?" Anna asked.

"Hurry the fuck up and get dressed, you three! Your dad's in the hospital!"

"Wait, what? Why?" Jet asked as he threw on sneakers, "Mom, what happened?"

Jet's mom put on a jacket and said, "He got a call over a robbery! Frank just called; we have to leave now!"

The twins quickly got dressed and followed their mom out to the car. On the way to the hospital, Jet's mom told them everything she knew about what happened; which wasn't much. There was a robbery, though they didn't know where. There was a car chase in which they cornered one of the getaway cars. And then apparently one of the robbers sent out a Rhyperior which attacked the cops and injured Jet's father. By the time they got to the hospital, they got the details.

"It was that damn Zapdos!" Frank had informed them, "Someone broke in the lab and stole the frozen body. We got the call and found them fleeing the scene, so we chased them. When one of the bastards sent out the fucking monster of a Pokémon, it started flipping squad cars like tonka trucks!"

"Is my dad going to be ok?" Anna asked in a scared voice.

"His leg's busted," Frank informed them, gravely, "He'll live though. Once the doctors are finished with him they'll let you go see him."

Jet's mom let out a sigh of relief, "So he just has a broken leg? Nothing else?"

Frank shook his head, sadly, "That leg's a little more than broken. You'll see."

Jet felt a burning sensation in his stomach. He never really worried about his father getting hurt on duty because they lived in such a small town that nothing ever happened there. The worst the cops usually dealt with were DUI's and kids loitering in the park.

Jet's mom went to go talk to the doctors and see what was going on with her husband. Meanwhile, Kenny asked Frank, "Who would want to steal a dead Pokémon? Even if it is a Zapdos? Who would go through all that trouble?"

Frank scratched his beard, "Doesn't make any sense to me either, to be honest."

Jet thought about it. The only real reason to steal Zapdos is to find out where it came from. The only people he knew of that stood to gain a profit from this heist was-

"The Rockets," Jet said in an angry undertone. His emotions shifted from fear, to rage. "Those goddamn two-bit sons of bitches!" He felt his anger increasing steadily.

Frank looked at Jet, surprised, "What makes you think it was them?"

"Because they have a means, motive, and they always use Pokémon to do their dirty work; that's why!" Jet answered coolly, "Did you get any of them?"

"Nah, kid. If we did, I'd be down at the station making that bastard talk. Either way, there's no way to know if it was the Rockets for sure."

But Jet knew better. That Zapdos was posted all over the news. No doubt the Organization would want to find out where this legendary Pokémon came from. The police weren't able to stop them yet again. _Big surprise,_ Jet thought to himself bitterly. Now his father paid the price for their greed. Jet hated them. As far as he was concerned their actions were unforgivable. _Jessie and James better hope I never see them again. Next time, I'll be out for blood!_

**Author's Notes:**

***Gary's Team:**

**Granbull – Male Lvl. 53**

**Umbreon – Male Lvl. 50**

***Ash's Team:**

**Pidgeotto – Male Lvl. 22**

**Pikachu – Male Lvl. 56, (Was given to Ash at Lvl 54)**

**Team Rocket just doesn't seem to want to stop rubbing Jet the wrong way. Have they gone too far this time? Even so, what could one person possibly do to stop them? If he wants to be able to stand up to Team Rocket, he has a long way to go. Stay tuned to find out what develops from this. And as always, please leave your thoughts in a review!**


	63. Field Trip

Field Trip

Jet knocked on the door to his father's room, "Brought home some McDonalds, Dad. Got you a Big Mac!"

"Good, come on in!"

Jet opened the door. His parent's room had become littered with dirty dishes and trash ever since their father came home with his cast. His leg was broken in seven different places and there was nerve damage as well. According to the doctors, he'd be lucky to ever walk again.

Jet, along with the rest of the family, had spent the past week since the patriarch got home taking care of him. They would bring him food, newspapers, his laptop, the remote, whatever he may ask for. And every day, Jet would ask his father about news on the culprit they captured.

"So do they have a trial date yet?" Jet asked earnestly, "he was denied bail, right?"

Jet's dad pulled his food from his bag and replied, "For the hundredth time, yes Jethro! He was denied bail."

"Good," Jet said, ignoring the impatience in his father's voice, "the Rockets can buy him a fancy lawyer if they want to, but they're not getting him off that easily!"

Jet's dad sighed, "We're not even a hundred percent positive that it was the Rocket Gang that was behind the robbery."

"Well who else could it be?" Jet retorted, hotly, "Who else could keep him quiet and afford some big-shot lawyer from Celadon to represent him?"

"You're letting your prejudice get in the way," Jet's father said, patiently, "Never make assumptions! They could lead you blindly down the wrong path. It might be them, it may be someone else. Either way, he's certainly not talking."

Jet frowned. His dad did have a point, but Jet knew better. It _was_ the Rockets; he could feel it. Jet remembered how Jesse and James walked out of handcuffs scot-free; he could not allow such a thing to happen again. These people shouldn't be allowed to live above the law.

"How did training with your brother and sister go?" Jet's dad asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh, it was fine. Anna's Eevee beat Kenny's Eevee. They're both still pretty weak, but at least they're improving. Since tomorrow's Saturday, I was planning on taking them to Chestnut Fields to catch some Pokémon."

Jet's dad took a bite out of his burger and chewed it thoughtfully, "The Pokémon out there aren't strong, right? They won't get hurt or anything?"

Jet gave his dad a small smile, "Not while I have my Charmeleon, they won't!"

**XXX**

And so, keeping true to his word, Jet took the twins to a park right next to Chestnut Fields, (a local area east of Pallet Town that held a lot of low level grass and bug type Pokémon). They all hoped out of the car and Jet told them, "We'll have to walk from here."

"I don't mind!" Anna chirped, cheerfully, "What kind of Pokémon live around here, anyway?"

Jet started listing some of the Pokémon that he knew were in the area. It was mostly Oddish and Bellsprout, but there were also Tangela, Weedle, Caterpie, and Ledyba as well. And of course there were the Spearow and Pidgey that fed on them, the Ekans that fed on the birds, and the occasional Nidoran that ate whatever it could.

"I'd love to catch an Ekans!" Kenny said.

"Good luck," Jet told his little brother, "If they aren't hunting for food, they're usually underground."

Kenny didn't seem saddened by this news, "It doesn't matter what we catch anyway."

Jet raised his eyebrows, "That so?"

"Well yeah," Kenny replied, nonchalantly, "There's a GTS terminal at the Research Center, I could just trade off anything I don't want."

Jet smirked, "Well good luck trying to peddle off Oddish and Caterpie for Talonflame and Gengar!"

Anna laughed, "Of course no one is going to request a Caterpie, but that's what Wonder Trade is for!"

Jet stopped smiling, "Wonder Trade?"

"Yeah," Anna replied, "It's when you trade a Pokémon off and get another one from anywhere around the world at random."

Jet stopped walking all together, "Wait what? That's a thing now? When did this come out?"

"Umm, last month? Where have you been?" Kenny snickered.

Jet frowned, "I don't use the internet much anymore. So you're telling me that you just go to a GTS terminal, send your Pokémon away, and get some random Pokémon just out of nowhere?"

"Yep!" Anna replied, "That's the gist of it!"

Jet started walking again and said, "That's diabolical! So what's to stop someone from, I don't know, sending a bunch of Bidoof or Magikarp in to the world?"

"You mean trolling?" Kenny asked.

"What's trolling mean?" Jet asked back.

"Never mind, dude. Just, never mind."

Anna cut in, "I heard a guy evolved a Gible into a Gabite and it stopped listening, right? So he Wonder-Traded it off to this old guy for a Silcoon. But when the old guy got the Gabite and tried to use it, it went on a rampage and killed him!"

"Yeah," Kenny added, "It was all over the news last week! But that won't happen with us," he added to Jet, "Because you need a Class B license to train a Gabite. The most we'll get is a Joltik or something."

It took few minutes before they arrived at their destination. There was an entry control point where a ranger checked everyone's license's to make sure they were allowed past the gates. Once they were in Chestnut Fields, Jet gave each of his siblings two Great Balls.

"Now, I don't need to tell you how to use these, right?" Jet asked, "Just remember what I taught you. Weaken them until they're too tired to fight back, and then toss your great ball. If your Eevee gets hurt, don't be a hero and keep going! Recall your Pokémon and get out of there. I won't help unless you or your Pokémon are in real danger. Catching a Pokémon for the first time is something you must experience on your own."

And so they were off. Within five minutes, they found a Bellsprout that nobody wanted. When Jet asked what about Wonder Trade, Kenny replied, "I only have two Great Balls! I'm not going to waste them on a Bellsprout!"

And so they moved on. Before long, they came across a Ledyba. "Oh, can I have this one, Jet?" Anna asked. Stepped aside and let his little sister do battle with her first wild encounter.

"Ok, let's do this, Jaime!" Her Eevee was sent out to the Battle Field. Ledyba hovered above the ground, watching the proceedings curiously. Anna told her Eevee, "Put it to sleep with Yawn!"

Jet and the others turned away as Eevee let out a cute Yawn, which caused his opponent to do the same. Ledyba became uninterested in the proceedings and decided to fly away. Anna yelled after it, "Wait! Come back!" It paid her no mind, but instead fell to the ground mid-flight, asleep.

"Well," said Jet, "Are you going to go catch it or what?"

Anna excitedly ran after her Pokémon and caught it with a Great Ball. She christened the Pokémon "Spot," and they continued on their way.

The next Pokémon they found was an unexpected one; a Bulbasaur. Jet stopped the group, "He's mine!" Jet had informed them. Jet then sent out his Spinarak, "Go Aragog! Use Spider Web!"

Spinarak came out and followed his Trainer's instructions, but Bulbasaur ran away. Jet told Spinarak, "Use String Shot to bring him back here!" Spinarak caught Bulbasaur with String shot, and used the attack to slam Bulbasaur against a nearby boulder that was sticking out of the ground. He then used Spider web to trap the Pokémon against said boulder. Jet got excited, "Good, now use Bug Bite, Aragog!"

Spinarak was about to use Bug Bite, but Bulbasaur began to whistle an eerie tune that began to make them all drowsy. In a panic Jet covered his ears, but to no avail. He fell to his knees and found himself unconscious.

**XXX**

Jet felt something poking him in the ribs. Someone was trying to wake him up, but he didn't want to get up. After all, his nap had only just started! Something poked him again, hard this time. Jet woke up to find his Spinarak poking at his side. Realizing what had happened, Jet quickly sat up, "What the fuck?"

He looked over at the spot where Bulbasaur had been. It was gone now, escaped. Jet looked up at the sun. It was about noon, so they had not been sleep very long. He groaned and sat up. "What happened?" Jet asked Spinarak. He closed his eyes and tried to connect his mine with his Pokémon's.

Apparently, Spinarak fought hard to resist Bulbasaur's Grass Whistle after Jet and the others fell asleep. Spinarak soon fell asleep as well, however, but woke up once he felt the wild Bulbasaur attacking him. He managed to fight the Bulbasaur off, and the Pokémon escaped just before he woke Jet up.

Jet opened his eyes and checked Spinarak's backside which Bulbasaur gnawed at while he was sleep. Jet pulled a potion from his bag and sprayed his injured Pokémon, "You did great, buddy! That Bulbasaur would've probably killed us in our sleep if you hadn't intervened! I didn't think he'd know Grass Whistle, honestly."

After healing his Pokémon, he recalled it and went to wake up his brother and sister. "What happened?" Anna asked sleepily.

"That Bulbasaur put us all to sleep with Grass Whistle, but Aragog fought him off."

Kenny sat up in shock, "What? We could've been attacked in our sleep!"

"We almost were," agreed Jet, "but no one said catching Pokémon would be easy. You guys ready to keep going?"

Both twins looked as if they were ready to call it a day. Jet shook his head, "You're not going to let a little thing like that stop you, are ya?"

Anna laughed nervously, "Does that happen often?"

"What getting knocked out?" Jet asked, "Used to happen to me all the time! Shall we?"

And so the continued. Jet had to admit, that was a close call. All in all though, he was mostly just mad that the Bulbasaur got away. All three siblings agreed at the first sign of a whistle, they'd cover their ears and run. This led to a couple of false alarms courtesy of Kenny, but that stopped when Anna angrily punched him in the stomach.

After a walking a while, Anna had caught herself a male Nidoran and Kenny had caught his first Pokémon as well; a Paras. Kenny had informed the group that he planned on Wonder-Trading the newest member of his team off to try and get something better. It was starting to get late so they decided to start heading back. And that's when Kenny found his last catch of the day; a shiny Weedle.

The sunlight had reflected off of the Weedle's gold colored body and caught the young trainer's eye. Shiny Pokémon were so rare and sought after, he knew he just had to have it.

"Go Eevee!" He yelled, tossing a pokeball into the air. His Eevee came out and barked excitedly. He tried using the same strategy that he and his sister used all day, "Eevee, use Yawn!"

Eevee opened his mouth to Yawn at his opponent, but the Weedle sent a well-aimed String Shot his way. The silk covered Eevee's mouth, preventing him from using Yawn. Weedle then used String Shot and instantly poisoned Eevee.

Jet warned his brother, "Don't keep your Pokémon out long! If he vomits then he'll choke on it with that gook covering his face!"

"Right!" Kenny said nervously, "Eevee, return!"

After recalling his Eevee, Kenny said, "Fuck it," and just threw his empty Great Ball at the Weedle. Surprisingly, the little guy was captured. Kenny jumped for joy when he heard the final metallic click, and Anna stared in disbelief.

"How the hell did you catch it without battling it?" She asked.

"I battled it!" Kenny said happily, "I just didn't actually attack it!"

**XXX**

After Chestnut Fields, Jet took his little brother and sister to register their new Pokémon under their names. Because they didn't have a pokedex, they couldn't do this in the field like Jet could, so they had to go to the Research Center. After healing their Pokémon and registering them, they went to the GTS terminal to trade their unwanted Pokémon off.

Kenny wanted to keep his Shiny Weedle, so he instead traded his Paras and instead got a Pansear at level fifteen. He was ecstatic about his newly traded Pokémon. Next came Anna, who traded off her Nidoran. As she favored water Pokémon, she must have traded and re-traded five times before she found something she wanted, (a level seventeen Shellder).

"You know Jet," Kenny said after they left the research center, "You might be able to get something good for that Spinarak of yours!"

Jet stared, "Aragog probably saved our lives today, and you want me to just trade him off?"

Kenny looked kind of embarrassed, "Well when you put it that way, I guess not. But I'm sure you got some Pokémon that you don't use that you can trade off for something good though!"

Jet shook his head, "You just don't get it, do you? I have no useless Pokémon. I don't want to use any Pokémon I didn't raise myself. And I certainly will not trade off my Pokémon like their fucking trading cards or something!"

"Alright! I get it! Sheesh!" Kenny said, impatiently.

"No you don't." Jet said as they got in the car, "But for your sake, and that of your Pokémon, I sincerely hope that one day you will."

**Author's Notes:**

**Ok, So I wanted to answer a few questions. First was if Jet had a Dragon Type or if he'd get one soon. He doesn't have one currently, but he will have one before the league.**

**Also I was asked to give an update on the level's of Jet's Pokémon. This I won't do, because their level's haven't changed since I listed them at the Beauty Pageant. The next significant change in levels you will see for Jet's Pokémon will be shortly after he arrives in Lavender town. I will show a full update then.**

**As for why Jet hasn't focused on his main team in a while, it's because he was training a lot of his weaker Pokémon at the time. Plus, the stronger Pokémon get, the harder it is for them to level up.**

**As for the whole will Jet have Aura abilities and will he further develop his telepathy, I can only tell you to have patients. This story will touch on that stuff but it won't be for a while. And I do mean a while.**

**As for whether Jet ever catches any legendries or fossil Pokémon, you'll just have to wait and see.**

**And finally, I was asked if Ash would play a bigger role, or if it was just a cameo. You will see Ash again later, but he's not going to be a major character. He might make one more cameo in the Kanto part of the story, but that's it.**

**I'd like to thank everyone for all of the reviews! I do read them and I will try to answer all questions without spoiling the story. I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying the new updates and hope you like the future chapters. One more chapter in Pallet Town, and then it's straight to Lavender Town!**

**Until next time, See ya!**

**P.S.**

**If you haven't played X or Y yet, I highly recommend you play it. IMO it's by far the best Pokémon game I've ever played.**


	64. Dino's Reward

**Author's Notes: **

**After this chapter, it's straight to Lavender Town, and the Celadon City. The badges will be in the same order they're in in the games, rather than the Anime.**

Dino's Reward

Jet sat on a bench with Gary watching his little Eevee try and try again to use Shadow Ball, but with no success. Gary's Umbreon was the instructor, and he was showing great patience with the little pup. Jet assumed the Umbreon, like himself, was not expecting Eevee to get the attack right by the end of the night. Still, Jet wanted his Eevee to be instructed on how to do the attack, so when she became a bit more powerful she would be able to pull it off.

Gary scrolled the screen of his cell phone and said, "Yep, say's here with Eevee you want to wait until they're at least two months old before breeding them. You're right; it _is_ way too early for them to mate."

Jet smirked, "But you just had to google it and try to prove me wrong, didn't you?"

Gary put his phone away, "You can't blame a guy for hoping, right? If they make babies! Well, you know as well as I do how useful the evolutions of an Eevee can be. I lucked out when mine evolved into an Umbreon. I don't have any other dark types."

Jet watched as his little pup tried yet again to clear her mind. A clear mind, as Jet understood it, was essential for ghost type attacks. A Pokémon without mental discipline cannot hope to use moves like Shadow Ball. His Spinarak had the same issue when it first learned Night Shade.

Gary spoke again, "So, what are you hoping your Eevee will evolve into?"

Jet shrugged, "I have absolutely no clue. I'd love a Jolteon or a Sylveon! But you know how hard it is to get an Eevee to evolve into what you want it to, right? It's all about the environment, or the time of day. Any way, it's like you said; any one of Eevee's evolutions would be good."

After a few more attempts to use Shadow Ball, both trainers decided to call it a night. Jet said to his Eevee as they walked back to his bike, "Don't worry about it, you'll get it eventually! And we'll practice it every day until you do."

**XXX**

Jet and the twins took a walk down to the beach the next day with their Eevee in tow. All three pups had grown a few levels since they started their training. Jet's was now at level eight, while Ken's was at level six. Anna's Eevee was just behind Ken's; it had progressed to level five.

"Don't get cocky because they leveled up so fast," Jet told them as they neared their destination, "Pokémon usually level up very quickly with a steady stream of battles until about level twenty. After that point they grow a lot slower."

"So," asked Anna, "once they hit level twenty, how do we make sure they keep leveling up?"

"Two ways," Jet answered, "Either have them defeat scores of lower level Pokémon, which takes forever-"

"Or?" Kenny cut in.

"Or," Jet continued, "You have them take down opponents that are stronger than them."

Kenny frowned at his brother, "How do we do that? If they fight Pokémon at a higher level, won't they lose?"

Jet shook his head, "Not necessarily. You can take down stronger opponents by spending a lot of time training and perfecting your battle techniques. You also need to think about strategy. If you can out think your opponent, you might have a chance. Now if you have a Pokémon that skilled and smart, and you get their level high enough…"

"Then they become unbeatable?" Anna finished for Jet.

Jet gave her a little smile, "No one's unbeatable, but they can become pretty damn close. Thorn has yet to lose a single battle, and he's fought a bunch of higher level Pokémon."

"So if Thorn is so tough," Kenny asked, "Why not just use him in every battle? You'd never lose!"

"Well, He'd probably be at a much higher level," Jet said, "Which would make him a lot harder to beat, but then what about the rest of my Pokémon? Do you know how many trainers make the mistake of training just one Pokémon only to neglect the rest of them? Sure you'll have yourself a really strong champion, but what happens when you fight someone like Bill Brooke, or if you try to get into the Pokémon league? When your opponents have a plethora of strong Pokémon to choose from, half of which have type advantages on your own? Are you going to make your one well trained Pokémon fight against six other well trained Pokémon?"

"Wow," said Anna, "I never thought of it that way."

Kenny, however, had more to say, "But that's the league! Those trainers are like, the top of the line! I'm talking about real Pokémon battles. You could make a ton of money if you have one really good sweeper."

Jet shook his head again, "You think you're the first person to think of that? Try training your Pokémon that way and see how far it gets you. Besides my Eevee, any one of my weakest Pokémon would be able to take down your strongest without breaking a sweat. That's power, Kenny. If you want to win battles, and I mean really win battles, then you better train every day like you're trying to get to the Pokémon league."

Kenny didn't have an argument for this. He knew Jet would probably take out his level fifteen Pansear with any one of his Pokémon. But what did he know? Jet has been at it for months, and Kenny was just getting started!

"How about we see whose Eevee is stronger than?" Kenny said as they walked onto the beach, "If you're _sooo_ much better than we are, how about proving it?"

Jet stopped walking and grinned down at his little brother, "You want your Eevee to go mono y mono against mine? Ok then Mr. badass, you got it! Eve!" Jet called to his Eevee, "Battle stance!"

Jet's Eevee turned to her opponent made a lowered her body as if she was about to pounce and began growling. Kenny's Eevee looked up at his trainer for instructions, so Kenny said, "Don't just stand there, use Head-butt!"

Jet called to his own Pokémon, "Use Syncronoise!"

Kenny's Eevee charged at Jet's own, only to be blown back by a psychic shock wave that caused everyone to flinch and cover their ears. Jet called to his Pokémon, "Now follow through with Head-butt!"

Jet's Eevee charged at Kenny's this time. That latter Eevee was still recovering from Syncronoise, and was knocked out cold by the force of Eve's Head-butt.

The match was over, and Jet had won. Kenny looked down at his unconscious Pokémon in shock, "Wha- how did-" He then turned angrily to Jet, "You cheated! You said you were going to teach my Eevee everything you taught your own! What the hell was that attack anyway?"

Jet bent down to scratch his Eevee behind the ear and answered, "Syncronoise is a powerful psychic attack that only works on opponents whose type is the same as the user's. And I didn't teach Eve that attack, she inherited from her parents. So did your Eevee, you'd know that if you took the time to check all of his moves while we were at the research center."

Kenny stood there dumbstruck for a few moments, and then he shook his head, "If I knew he could do that then I would've used it from the jump! It's not fair!"

Anna snickered, "My god you're such a sore loser! Jet won that fair and square and you know it Kenny!"

"Oh shut up!" Kenny groaned as he picked up his unconscious Pokémon. "How do I revive him?"

"You can't," Jet replied, "For now your Eevee is going to have to sit this training session out."

And so Kenny recalled his fallen Pokémon. They found a nice spacious spot on the beach to train and sent out their Pokémon. Jet's Eevee and Anna's Eevee were to be trained today by Jet's Raticate. He showed the pups different biting moves and defensive maneuvers that they were able to perform at their level.

Anna convinced Kenny to let his Pansear spar with her Shellder by telling him that the little fire monkey would need to learn how to defend against water types anyway. So Shellder got to practice some of his water moves while Pansear used his superior agility to maneuver around the attacks.

Jet had his Nidorino train with his Graveler. Nidorino had been trying to better his form and Jet figured Graveler would teach him how to stand his ground and keep a solid base.

As for Weedle and Ledyba and Spinarak, Jet had them pulling large rocks in the sand using their webs. It was training similar to what he had his own Weedle and Caterpie do in the Viridian Forest. Although, it was certainly much harder to drag the boulders through the sand rather than over a hard, grassy surface. And Jet wasn't taking it easy on them, either.

"Are you kidding me? It took you a full minute to move that rock a hundred meters?" He yelled at Weedle, "Aragog did it in _half_ the time! And his rock is almost twice as big as yours! Do you want to evolve anytime soon or do you want to stay a Weedle your entire life?"

Weedle glared at Jet with a look of pure hatred. Jet snorted, "Oh what you're mad at me now? I'm quaking in my fucking boots! Come see me when you turn into a Beedrill and become an actual threat! Until then, stop dragging your feet and move the fucking rock!"

All three bugs began dragging their rocks back to the start point Jet had drew in the sand. Jet was moving along side of them, "Let's go! Move your ass like you actually want to evolve! There you go Aragog! Nice pace Spot! Oh, now, what the fuck is this?" Jet had exclaimed watching the shiny Weedle that was falling behind. "Weedle is dragging ass, big fucking surprise!"

Weedle, it seemed, had had enough. Letting go of his string, he turned to Jet and hissed angrily. Jet chuckled, "Oh what, you're going to spear me with your little stinger? You're a little low on the food chain to be mouthing off, worm!"

Weedle cocked his head back and shot a poison barb from its mouth straight at Jet's face. Jet ducked the attack, (by cocking back his head, Weedle had broadcasted his attack). Jet was about to call for his Spinarak when out of nowhere, his Nidorino pounced. Growling, Nidorino stomped on Weedle's head and pushed it into the sand, while securing the bug's tail with his other foreleg. He bent down to bite the caterpillar Pokémon when Jet stopped him, "Dino, wait!"

At this point, everyone else had stopped what they were doing and gathered around the scene at hand. Kenny ran up and said, "No! My shiny Weedle!"

Jet told his Nidorino, "You can let him go, Dino. He's not going to attack me again, are you, worm?"

Nidorino snorted, and then let go of his prey. Kenny asked breathlessly, "What the hell happened?"

Jet didn't answer right away, but stared into the glaring eyes of the little Weedle who was panting restlessly. "Apparently your Weedle can't handle my training, so it decided to attack me. A cowardly move, really. He'd have been better served if I'd let Dino eat him."

Kenny went pale, "What? You can't eat let it eat him, Jet! It's a shiny!"

Jet let out a little laugh, "Jesus, Kenny! Are you concerned for the actual Pokémon itself or do you care just because of the color? Because if that was the case, I might as well have let it die."

Both Kenny and Anna looked at Jet with shocked looks on their faces. Anna spoke next, "You can't mean that, Jet! You wouldn't kill a Pokémon on purpose, would you?"

"Yeah!" Kenny yelled, "What the hell was all that shit about every Pokémon being precious?"

Jet stopped smiling, "Every Pokémon has the potential for greatness, this is true. You're right, Anna; I'm not one to kill if I can help it. But if it's a choice between their life and the life of my Pokémon, (or my own life for that matter), I'll choose us over them every time. Pieces of shit like your little Weedle here," Jet smirked again, "They're fit for nothing more than to be my Pokémon's dinner! You want to be a trainer? Then learn this early: the Pokémon world is a world based on the idea of survival of the fittest.

"I catch only real fighters, the ones with the will and the drive to do great things. I hone their greatness, I help them rise above weakness. The weak, Pokémon like your little shiny here, shall be devoured; for they are stepping stones for my Pokémon to ascend to greatness!

"I don't wish for them to die, don't get me wrong. But when they challenge me like that, when they make it a serious fight, then they must be prepared to deal with the consequences."

Jet turned back to the Weedle and continued, "I had no desire to harm your Pokémon. No, quite the opposite! I was making him stronger! That's what I do! I bring the out the true power in a Pokémon. More power than I think even he is aware that he has. I tried to give your Pokémon this gift, and he spat in my face. My Pokémon don't like it when their trainer is threatened, you see. And it's been a while since Dino here has been hunting, hasn't it boy?"

Nidorino glared at Weedle as well and began to growl hungrily. Jet smiled and spoke directly to the Weedle, "Know this. Next time you attack me, or any of my Pokémon, I won't stop Dino from eating you. It won't matter that you're my little brother's Pokémon or what color your skin is, you will be his lunch, just like the other nameless worms that have come before you!"

Weedle dropped his gaze, and then hurriedly scuttled over to his trainer. No one spoke. Jet dropped to one knee and opened his bag. To Nidorino, he said, "You have both shown great improvement, and great loyalty today. And I always award those who work hard, as you know. And so-" Jet took a Moonstone from his bag. Nidorino watched the stone excitedly, hardly daring to believe it.

"Come here, Dino, and collect your reward."


End file.
